The Abyss
by GracedAngel1864
Summary: There's a new enemy after the scouts with a new strategy. Ami is thrown into the GW world, eventually followed by Usagi, Rei, Minako, Makoto, & Setsuna. Suspicion & scheming fill the house, creating a tense, comedic and surprisingly romantic situation.
1. Into the Abyss

The Abyss

Chapter 1

"Jupiter, behind you!"

At Mars' scream, Jupiter rolled to the side, groaning as a large tree trunk barely missed her.

Venus raised her hands, forming a simple yet easy attack to thwart off the enemy a moment.

"Venus crescent beam, SMASH!"

The man standing before them simply waved his hand at the beam, disintegrating the beam without turning around after having thrown the tree at Jupiter.

The Senshi backed up, now slightly afraid at what the outcome would be.

"Got any readings on your computer, Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked, turning to Sailor Mercury.

Mercury's trembling hand reached up and double clicked her earring, removing her visor as she dropped her now destroyed mini-computer onto the cement floor.

"His powers were so high that my computer broke," she said tensely, staring at the man before them. He laughed.

The man had blonde unruly hair and deep green eyes. He was about Mamoru's height and build, and his face held a confident smirk. Had he not been trying to kill them, the Senshi would readily have agreed that he was the most handsome man they had ever laid eyes on.

It was two years after Galaxia, and all of the girls were enrolled in the local university, each working towards a different career. The girls had all been hanging out on that cool December afternoon, headed to the mall for a girls' day since Mamoru was away on a work trip. They were walking, since it was near, and only about a block away before they heard screams and transformed.

"Alright, who are you and what do you want," Sailor Moon asked, taking charge and stepping forwards.

"I'll be the one asking the questions, Moon brat," he responded, "but if it's my name you want, it is simply Lycaon, although that will do nothing for you. I come with an offer from my Queen Andromache. We have been watching you all a while. We know of your past enemies as well as what the Earthlings have been through and we plan to take it. However, the good Queen says it's a waste to lose your powers fighting for the Earth, since you will perish. She offers an ultimatum: Join her or face the consequences."

The Senshi scoffed at what he was saying, the answer obvious.

"Tell your Queen Andromache-never. We will fight until we can fight no more. United, we Senshi are strong," Sailor Moon said.

"Yes well we thought you might say that. We also know your powers when you are all united so..."

As he spoke, a small black gate was opening up behind the four Senshi standing behind Sailor Moon. Sailor Mercury stared at the man before them, wondering why he had paused. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something black on her left. Mars' hair? No, she was to the far right. Mercury gasped as she realized a large black gate was opening up next to Sailor Venus, who was on her left.

She began to feel a slight pull from the gate not a split-second after as she screamed Venus' name, and pushed her from the way.

"Wrong time to be valiant Mercury," Lycaon screamed, blasting her in her side. She screamed in pain, and one more blast sent her falling into the gate before she could blink.

Everyone screamed at this, most of all Venus who it was intended for.

"Oh, don't worry about her, the plan is to do this to all of you eventually, we just need there to be less of you so we can take the Earth. Unfortunately, I can only conjure up one of those gates every few days. So our next attack will be soon, but the rest of you will be staying in Tokyo for a while. "

He began to float up into the air, and Mars screamed after him. "Where did you take her?"

"Oh, you'll see soon enough," he responded, disappearing. The group collapsed to the ground in shock, looking at the spot where the gate had just been.

"Try the computer Mars," Moon said, desperation in her voice. Mars nodded, but only static came through when she tried. Jupiter pounded her first into the floor angrily.

Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Wufei Chang, Duo Maxwell & Quatre Winner pulled into the driveway of Quatre's mansion. The five were all still employed with the Preventers, and had chosen to come back to Quatre's house for the last two weeks prior to Christmas and the first week of January. Although it was very likely that they all got on each other's nerves, they chose to risk it.

Heero was driving, the car silent save for Duo bugging Wufei every few minutes. It had snowed in the area, and the mansion looked beautiful, the huge lawn white and perfect looking.

As they were about halfway up the driveway, Duo pressed his face closer to the window, gasping.

"Quatre, what is that spot of blue that looks way too much like a body on your lawn?"

Heero smacked his foot down on the breaks, turning to see as he put the car on park.

"Blue?" Quatre frowned. "This house hasn't had occupants in a very long time. There aren't even any servants."

Before anyone else could make a move, Duo had unbuckled his seat belt and leapt from the car, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Maxwell," Wufei growled. Trowa shrugged and followed Duo, the rest getting out of the car and following. Heero drew his gun and approached as well, looking around the area to see if anyone else was around, before approaching quickly after the others.

In the snow laid an unconscious woman with strikingly blue hair similar to Noin's. She was very pale, and was wearing a simple white sweater and jeans. She was lying on her back, one arm loosely over her stomach and the other spread to her right.

Everyone was shocked, to say the least. No one was around, and there didn't seem to be any sign of a struggle in the area. There weren't even footprints leading up to the spot where she lay. Almost as if she had fallen right out of the sky.

"Check her pulse." Duo turned to look at Heero, before sighing. Heero thought the girl was dead.

He bent down and took her much smaller frozen hand in his own, placing his fingers on her wrist and pausing.

"She's-" he froze, turning back to look at the woman "…alive."

* * *

Ami groggily opened her eyes. She had such a bad headache. Was she feverish? Her body ached like she had taken a big fall or something, and she was so cold. She sat up with a gasp. She _had_ taken a fall. Where was she? Where were her friends?

"Hey, she's up," a voice said, but not one she recognized.

"That was quick," another strange voice said. Ami turned to her right, where a group of men were sitting, all on comfy looking couches across from her. A look at her surroundings told her that she too was lying on one.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

The five stood, and Ami shrank further into the couch, unsure of whether or not she was safe. Heero justified her fear when he pointed a gun at her, watching her eyes widen.

"We should first ask you where you came from," he pointed out, speaking only in a monotone. He had unruly brown hair and blue eyes, but an unreadable expression on his face.

Ami frowned. She didn't know where she was, and she wondered how far it was from Tokyo or if that was believable or even if this strange place had a Tokyo. She took a shot, since the one holding the gun looked Japanese.

"I'm from Japan."

He quirked an eyebrow, but his face remained emotionless. "That's pretty far from here."

"What he meant, onna, was how you got on our lawn," Wufei snapped, not liking how long she hesitated. She turned her attention for a moment to the dark-haired Chinese man. He looked mad.

She dared not explain that part to them. For all she knew, they were working for the enemy that had sent her here.

"I should go."

"But babe, you just got here. Anyways, go where?" she turned to her right to look at a man with cobalt blue eyes and long brown braid. He was smiling.

"Can I drive you anywhere?" Quatre offered. The girl shook her head. Despite Heero's gun on her, she began to feel her wrist for her communicator, which was gone.

"Onna, you didn't answer our question," Wufei reminded.

"I don't know, okay?" She snapped, causing him to growl slightly and her to sigh. Turning to look at Heero, she slowly stood, hands raised at eye level and speaking slowly.

"I'm leaving now, okay? Please put the gun away. Thanks for everything, goodbye." Duo chuckled slightly at her slow tone when addressing Heero and his gun.

She turned to walk away, looking ready to break into a run at any second.

"You're not going anywhere until you answer my question," Heero said, glaring at her.

Ami felt trapped, standing by the couch with the five surrounding her. Five? There was a quiet one she hadn't noticed, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, watching the scene with an unreadable expression.

"Please let me go…I really don't know," she pleaded. The pilots all looked at each other. There was no war right now, so her being a hostage or something was out. Of course, they surely had their enemies. Was she a spy?

"Where is the last place you remember going?"

She looked to the blonde with the blue eyes.

"Um…" Her headache was really bad, she must have had a fever since she was usually quicker at coming up with answers on the spot. Her side was suddenly aching; she hadn't noticed it before…

"I went to the mall," she responded tiredly.

Duo frowned at her change in tone. Maybe she was sick from being out in the cold.

"The mall where? Not in Japan," Wufei said.

Her side gave another pang, and she looked down, suddenly remembering why.

_"W__rong time to be valiant Mercury," Lycaon screamed, blasting her in her side. She screamed in pain, and one more blast sent he__r__ falling into the gate before she could blink. _

She reached her hand down to her side, by the waist of her jeans. Heero thought she was reaching for a small pistol, and removed the safety from his gun. She ignored him, her hand coming up bloody. Unable to stand anymore, she promptly passed out.

* * *

Hey, I haven't written anything in forever. Please review! I'll try to keep my updates reasonable in time! 


	2. Without A Clue

Chapter 2

Ami blinked open her eyes for the second time that day, groaning slightly. This was definitely not one of her better days.

This time, she was on a bed, in a room with pale green walls and a lot of light.

Still lying down, she turned her head to the right and saw a man sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, reading. He had brown hair in an odd style, with a long bang covering one of his eyes. He seemed to feel her gaze on him and looked up from his book, revealing one emerald green eye, which reminded her of Makoto's very much.

He stared at her a moment longer, before standing from his chair, setting his book down, and exiting the room. She heard his footsteps grow farther away, before hearing muffles voices begin to fill the hallway outside the room.

Ami immediately began to sit up, grimacing slightly and yet feeling awkward and weary especially since these were obviously the strange men whom had found her earlier.

Footsteps and clear voices were heard outside the room, and the five entered, half looking uninterested and a couple of them generally curious.

"Glad your up," the blonde said immediately, approaching to help her sit up but she had managed on her own.

"Yeah babe, we had no idea you were injured, and we were totally interrogating you." She looked at the man with the long braid.

"It's alright. Thanks for everything, I'll be out of your way very soon," she said, although she herself didn't know where exactly she would be going.

"Nonsense," the blonde responded, "That wound on your side was pretty bad. Luckily, a good doctor friend of mine was willing to come to the house and patch you up. Care to explain how that happened?"

Ami realized they were still interrogating her, just using a gentler method.

"Do you care to tell me where I am?"

"An old property of my parents."

"What country?" Ami knew she was being very blunt, but she had to figure out where she was.

The pilots all glanced at each other.

"England, we're in the countryside of England babe," the braided one said. "Where did you think you were, the colonies?" He repeated.

"Colonies?"

"Yes, the space colonies."

Ami mentally cursed. Space colonies? Ami knew it was wrong to assume the worst, but she was starting to think that she wasn't even in the same dimension she had woken up in this morning.

"Ah, yes, of course. I'm just tired, that's all."

The pilots glanced at each other once more.

"I never caught your name," the blonde said, staring at her with a mix of confusion and pity.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Ami Mizuno."

"Well I'm Quatre, and these are Duo, Heero, Trowa and Wufei," he said, pointing to each one respectively.

Ami nodded, but her mind was on other things. She didn't have her transformation wand, realizing her transformation was gone even though she had fallen into the black gate with it. She also had somehow lost her communicator, and her mini-computer was broken. She had no money, and no way of contacting her friends if she really was in another dimension. Despite how nice Quatre was acting now though, she didn't feel safe in the house. She had to get out. Even if she had to walk miles, right now she felt like she was slowing herself down from getting home, she needed answers...

"Well," she said, as they all stood silently, "I uh...I thank you very much for everything you have done for me. I'm sorry I don't have any way of repaying you, but..." she managed to get to her feet. "I am going to get out of your way now."

"Actually Ami, that's not a very good idea," Quatre said, as Ami walked a few feet from the bed and found herself immediately leaned on the wall for support as her head began to spin. "Like I said, your wound was serious, plus since you were out in the cold for such a long time the doctor said that you'd probably be dizzy and feverish for a few days."

Ami sighed. She felt like crying. The two rude ones from earlier, Heero and Wufei, stared at her suspiciously. She didn't blame them. She would be suspicious too. She didn't even have a back-story, because she didn't exist in this world.

"I really hate to question you while you're still injured, but we want to help you and don't know how. Is there somewhere we can take you? A friend we can call?"

Ami shook her head, frustrated as she resigned herself to sitting on the bed.

"Is..." he paused. They had all been discussing the girl after she passed out, and had come to the conclusion that someone may have been after her. After all, she was inured and left to die outside this once abandoned home. She may even have been protecting the person who attacked her, as if it were someone she knew, didn't want to find her, and didn't want in jail. "Is someone after you?"

She frowned at him.

"I mean...if someone is out to get you we can help." If it was just a simple domestic dispute gone horribly wrong, Quatre figured that they could have the police there quickly enough.

"I sincerely doubt that," she said flatly.

"Then...you must still be tired," he said quickly, glancing at his friends for the millionth time. "Why don't you just sleep for now?" They all filed out of the room, the braided one winking and shutting the door behind him.

Once they were gone, Ami began to plan.

They didn't want her leaving, and she had a strange feeling that they themselves were hiding something they thought she was after. However they were prying way too much. Whether or not she had a definite place to go, she was getting out of the house, tonight. Something in the house was very wrong and she wouldn't be staying to find out.

* * *

Laycaon bowed before his queen, Andromache. 

She nodded, and he stood.

"So you sent her to the parallel dimension?"

"Yes my Queen."

"How long will it take you to be able to rid us of another scout?"

"At my full level of power, at least seven or eight days, but summoning the portal takes everything out of me, so if we are going to fight the Senshi for the next few days, I will have to be strong enough to take them on, so probably not for another ten or eleven days, give or take."

She nodded, saying "That's alright, now that we have rid ourselves of one of them, we have hurt their pride and spirit. The thought of losing one of their comrades alone will make them weaker. We attack tomorrow."

"Do you know where exactly she is, Laycaon," Andromache added as an afterthought. He paused.

"I can watch the happenings of the other world without literally draining myself to go there. She was found by five men who seem good-"

"That's unacceptable. We'll have to tamper with their dreams or something if they help her."

"Make them suspicious?"

"Yes. We'll make them fear helping her, and we can also send her dreams to make her suspicious as well, or false predictions on what is happening with her friends to weaken her."

"You can do that?" he sounded shocked.

"Of course, it's all too easy. We'll keep a close eye for now. Did you get her transformation wand and communicator at least?"

"Yes me Queen." He held them up.

"Excellent, now she has no way of contacting her friends."

* * *

Heero and Wufei argued with Duo and Quatre downstairs. Trowa had chosen to remain neutral, listening to both sides equally.

"She talks in circles, the onna can't be trusted," Wufei said with a sneer, placing his hands down the table and glaring at Duo, who stood to meet his gaze.

"Wu-man, every time she wakes up we surround her like some specimen in a lab and pick apart everything she says," Duo replied, not missing out on an opportunity to tease Wufei, who growled in response.

"Well I think she's harmless. Perhaps just confused and scared," Quatre said, still seated and not getting upset about the issue.

"Well she's suspicious," Heero said from where he was seated. "Maybe she wants...information, like for one of the groups who were against the war ending."

Everyone looked to Trowa, who was watching them all and nodding at what everyone said.

"I think she's harmless, looks young. Maybe eighteen or nineteen years old," he said evenly.

"Well, appearances can be deceiving. Of all people, we should know that age probably isn't an issue," Heero responded.

"How would she know who we were? This isn't even my usual home, not many people know my family owned an estate in England, let alone the deserted countryside," Quatre reasoned. "Who but our superiors at the Preventors knew we were coming?"

Everyone mulled over what he said a bit, and he continued. "Every chance she gets she tries to leave thanks to Heero's little gun show earlier. I think, if she is hiding from someone, that it would be a good idea to help her. I want to invite her to stay here for a week or two, maybe she'll tell us what's going on. We can't send her into the street knowing she has nothing."

"I can," Wufei said, crossing his arms. Duo rolled his eyes.

"Aww Wu-man, don't enjoy having the opposite sex hang around the house with us?" Duo's smile faded as Wufei shouted, "That's it!" He promptly lunged at Duo across the table, and Duo made a run for it.

"You do what you want," Heero said. "I'm going to try to look her up, see what I can find."

* * *

That night, Ami turned in her bed and stared at the clock on the wall. It was twelve forty-five. Surely, they were asleep by now.

She slid from the bed and crept down the hall, ignoring the slightly woozy feeling she had, only one destination in mind: the front door.

Her shoes had been laid by the stairs, and she grabbed them, choosing to go down the stairs in her socks to minimize the noise level of her escape. She moved through the dark corridors of the house, trying to figure out where the front door was. She was moving around the corner of one of the hallways when someone grabbed her arm. She jumped, covering her mouth to suppress a scream.

"Where are you going," a voice said, and she tried to distinguish who the person was but couldn't see in the dark.

Whoever it was, he grabbed her slightly rougher around her other arm, and moved her against the wall, staring down at her. She looked up, in a mixture of fear and confusion, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she could make out more than just his outline, looking into two Prussian blue eyes.

He leaned down closer, saying lowly, "Did you hear what I said? Where are you going?"

She trembled slightly, but managed to keep her voice from quivering as she responded.

"Out."

"Hn." She frowned at him, but he did not relinquish his grip.

"What did you say your name was again?" He asked, staring at her for any hint of lie.

"Ami Mizuno." He glared at her. He would not have stopped her, actually, had he not been searching for information on 'Ami Mizuno' for the past 2 hours, unable to find any indication that she existed.

"Care to change your answer?"

"No." His grip tightened, and she gasped.

"Let go! You're hurting me," she said through clenched teeth, fighting to tear herself from his grasp.

"That's the idea." She glared at him, but was unable to tear her eyes from his gaze.

"What do you want?"

"To know what you're hiding."

"I'm not hiding anything."

"No? When did you arrive in England?"

"Not long ago."

"That's generic. What happened to you before we found you."

"I don't remember." He pushed her closer to the wall, moving closer to her if possible.

"I thought so." He lowered his face close to her ear. "I'm watching you."

"Is anyone down here?" Duo's voice filled the hall, and Heero immediately released her, stalking down the hall. Ami instantly crumpled to the floor, shaken up but otherwise unharmed.

"Ami? Is that you?"

She remained silent a moment longer, before responding. "Yeah..."

Heero stood hidden behind another wall, listening.

"What are you doing down here," Duo asked, helping her up.

"I was looking for the kitchen, actually," she lied quickly, covering any uncertainty in her voice with a laugh. "Haven't eaten all day and I woke up a few minutes ago starving."

"Oh. Me too! I love midnight snacks, actually I did eat a lot today though," Duo said as the two walked down the hall in the opposite direction.

Heero stared after them. She had kept silent. That only confirmed his suspicions.

In the kitchen, Duo pulled out a loaf of bread and searched in their newly stocked fridge for something to put on it.

"So, have you talked to Quatre since earlier?" he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She shook her head.

"Well then I guess I'll tell you. We want you to stay here, at least a week or two until you get your feet on the ground and decide where to go," he explained.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I don't think your friends want me to stay," Ami said quickly, thinking back to her encounter with Heero.

"Who, Heero and Wufei? They're just grumpy, their opinions don't really matter Ami," he said with a laugh. "Anyways, the three of us want you to stay and plus, Quatre owns the house, so it was his call."

Ami hesitated still.

"Ami," Duo said finally, having pulled out an assortment of lunch meats and cheese and set them on the counter, actually looking serious as he turned to look at her. "Where will you go then?"

He was met with silence, what he had expected, and nodded.

"Stay, if at least for a few days. Quatre's rich and he won't be running low on money. Anyways, we all understand. Everyone's got a back story. Everyone hits a low in their life at one time or another, and needs help. I mean, come on, we always free load off of him, he insists upon it."

She stared at him a second, before nodding. "Alright," she said, "but I don't plan on being here long."

The two ate their sandwiches in silence, before heading off to bed.

* * *

The next morning, Ami awoke feeling much better. Quatre had come in for a second, showing her his sister's closet in that room and her own private bathroom attached.

"Thank you so much for your generosity. I promise I won't be here long," Ami said. He waved away the thought.

"No problem at all. Now, feel free to wear or take anything you'd like of these clothes, we haven't come down here in many years. They should be your size, if not try the next room."

"How many sisters do you have," she asked.

"Let's just say plenty and leave it at that," he said with a laugh, exiting the room.

Ami excitedly jumped into the shower. She felt so dirty, and it felt great to peel off her sweater and blood-stained t-shirt. Her wound was almost healed, so she'd keep it wrapped a while longer so as not to arouse any suspicion. After her shower, she headed to the closet, choosing a pair of jeans and a grey three-quarter sleeved shirt. She headed downstairs, feeling somewhat more optimistic about her situation than she had before. There had to be a way back, some clue. The gate had opened up above this house after all.

Heading downstairs, she saw Quatre on the phone, and he waved slightly and continued.

She met up with Duo once she descended the stairs, and he smiled.

"Hey babe, you look much better today," he said with a wink, and she rolled her eyes, somewhat used to his antics in the short time since she'd met him.

"I'm starving," he said as they entered the kitchen.

"Let's make breakfast," Ami suggested, checking the fridge to see what they had in the house.

"Good idea," Duo said.

Trowa walked into the room, nodding at her and looking at Duo, whom was digging in the cupboard for a pan.

"We're making breakfast," Ami explained, and he nodded, directing Duo to the opposite cabinet.

Wufei entered the kitchen a bit later as they were cooking, looking sour at her presence but holding his tongue, leading Ami to believe he may have been forewarned to keep quiet.

Quatre, smiling, entered the kitchen next. "It sure smells good in here."

Last to enter was Heero, who brushed past the group without a word and sat down.

They set the table and sat down to a silent breakfast. Ami finished quickly and stood, grabbing her plate and a few of the empty dishes.

"Ami, Trowa, Duo, and I are heading into town to pick up more supplies to get this place up and running. It's about a twenty minute drive. Do you want to come?" Quatre asked. She glanced up at him, before nodding. "Is there a library?"

He nodded. "Yes, it's not a huge city like London but it's a very nice town. Did you want some books?"

"Actually, I just need the internet."

* * *

Makoto frowned, running her hands through her hair and fixing her customary ponytail as she listened to what Usagi was saying. She was so tired, and her friends looked no better. They had unfortunately lost Ami yesterday, and they didn't know where. Minako had spent a few hours crying, feeling personally responsible for Ami's disappearance. They were all now seated at the temple that depressing Saturday morning, worried about an enemy attack and their friend.

"Well, I called the Outers for advice," Usagi said, as she setting down her tea cup. "They told me not to worry. Said they'd keep a lookout. We probably should look into contacting Pluto, maybe she can help."

"How do we do that," Makoto found herself saying. "Setsuna seems to just appear on her own when she thinks she's needed."

"That's true," Rei agreed, "but I'm sure there must be a way to call her."

"No need," a voice said from the doorway. Sailor Pluto stood before them.

"Pluto!" Usagi ran forwards, followed by the rest of the girls.

"I'm afraid I don't have long, but I must explain to you where Ami is and the damage that the enemy has already done, so please let me finish before asking questions. She is in a dimension that is parallel to ours, in the far future. She has been found my some good people, but I don't think they all trust her. The enemy has tampered with things beyond even my power. Separate dimensions are supposed to remain just that- separate, running parallel with each other and never crossing. That Laycaon man working under Queen Andromache is messing with some very powerful things. If he sends too many people across, especially if he has the power to send more than one at a time, then he could do a lot of damage to both dimensions. I myself cannot just pluck Ami out of that dimension. It is a system, it must be pre-approved, I must have the power and resources, I must have my superiors consent to open the gate between dimensions. Even bringing Ami back is a risk on its own, so I for now cannot mess with it. I will keep an eye on her however, so don't worry. If the enemy tries to interfere _physically_ with the other dimension, I may be granted the power to step in. In the meantime, they are planning a huge attack, as you know. Be on your toes, and do not let Laycaon throw you into that gate!"

They all nodded.

"Wait," Makoto said, and Pluto turned around. "When can we bring Ami home?"

"I don't know. I'm doing everything I can. Just be on your toes, the enemy will attack."

"When?"

A crash was heard outside, and Pluto sighed.

"Now."

* * *

Ami sat silently as they drove into town. She had to find out everything she could about this world.

Trowa stopped the car outside of a large building, what she presumed to be the library.

"We'll be back for you in about an hour," Quatre explained, and Ami thanked them and got out of the car, heading up the steps to the main entrance.

Upon entering, she noticed that the computers were all in the center on the room, the book shelves dispersed around them. She smiled at the librarian at the front desk and made a beeline for the computers. She found out the date first.

'What's with this date, is it far in the future?' She froze. What if, she was in the far future of _her_ time. What if, after she was thrown from her time, the scouts lost, and the plans for Crystal Tokyo were destroyed? Was she living in the time that had resulted from her mistake? Trying not to panic, she looked up the history of the world. She learned all about the wars, and some strange machine's called Gundams. She went back further and further, until she had reached what was pre-Tokyo 2000 times, to find that all of that history was different as well. This relieved her, since had she been in her dimension that history would have been the same. Just to be sure though, she researched her friends and herself. Finding nothing, she relaxed.

She researched the space colonies and all there was to generally know about the world with her remaining time, so that she could keep up in conversation with her housemates.

True to their word, Quatre, Duo and Trowa were outside an hour later. Ami noticed them from the window she had been standing by and headed outside.

"Did you find everything you needed?" Duo asked her when she climbed in.

"Yes, I was almost tempted to get a library card and check out some books," she said with a laugh.

"Well you have that in common with some of us. Quatre and Trowa like reading. I myself am a television man," Duo said smugly as they pulled away from the library. Quatre laughed and Trowa gave a smile but remained silent.

In that moment, Ami felt hopeful that everything would be okay, even if it was just for a moment.

* * *

Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, I will definitely be adding some more Senshi/Tokyo action next chapter as well as more action/drama with the pilots next chapter. Feel free to tell me who you would like paired with Ami in your review as well! Will the enemy get involved in the pilots dimension? Will the scouts be alright? Review to find out, lol. 


	3. Scary Situation

Hey all, thanks to those who reviewed!

I should probably mention right away that I am not including Usagi in the voting since I am a Usagi/Mamoru fan.

Please, continue voting on pairs, at least on this chapter. Make sure you do it so you see the pairs you like, I don't think I'll let you guys vote after the next chapter, just this one, so... enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3

"Venus! Get down!" Venus threw herself to the floor as a huge ball of fire flew over head narrowly, singing a few of her hairs but otherwise leaving her unharmed.

Jupiter met the large attack with one of her own after warning Venus to duck, the two cancelling out on contact.

Venus struggled to her feet, turning and destroying the youma before it attacked again. Jupiter ran up to her, the two turning to look for their friends.

Mars and Moon were currently fending off Laycaon, but the two knew he was the least of their worries. They had destroyed several monsters, and yet they knew that the attacks would not stop, more and more youma pouring from a portal behind Queen Andromache. She wanted to take Tokyo, and would only spare them if they joined her.

Mamoru was about one hour outside Tokyo last they had spoken to him, but they couldn't remember when that had been.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!" Uranus and Neptune arrived on the scene, taking out several youma. Uranus whipped out her space sword, running through the youma and slashing them down quick as lightning.

A youma attacked Neptune, but Jupiter quickly realized that Saturn was there when she jumped in front of her and raised her defensive shield.

"Jupiter, watch your own back!" Venus screamed, knocking Jupiter to the floor as multiple attacks shot in their direction.

Meanwhile, Sailor Moon and Mars were barely keeping up with Laycaon, who unleashed attack after attack relentlessly, never quite seeming to tire.

The two simultaneously screamed and sank to their knees as he unleashed some sort of an electrical field, pulsing forwards and destroying the ground around them, forming a crater.

He approached, smiling sadistically as he crouched down next to them.

"Had enough yet?"

"I haven't." Lycaon barely had a moment to look to his left before a long black cane came smashing into his face, most likely breaking his nose and sending him flying from the force a few feet back.

Tuxedo Mask ran to the two, noting how Sailor Moon still had time to laugh at Laycaon as he helped them up and stood in front of them, crossing his arms.

"How did you get here so fast," Sailor Moon asked him. He turned to look at her, a smile gracing his features.

"I drove like a maniac," he explained with a shrug, turning back to look at Laycaon, who was glowering dangerously at him as blood ran down his face. He had definitely broken his nose.

* * *

Ami stared up at the ceiling of her room, contemplating her options. She had returned from the library about an hour before, and was currently trying to figure out her next move. She knew that Quatre wanted her to stay at least a few more days, but she felt like a burden all the same. However, if she left she would be living on the streets. Also, staying here was not bringing her any closer to getting home, and she knew that her friends desperately needed her. She could only imagine the kind of trouble that they were in- that the world was in. Yet here she sat, in total comfort while they probably were fighting for their lives. How much more useless could she get?

Although she considered herself to be intelligent, she was drawing blanks on many vital questions. Where had she landed anyways? Sitting up, she slipped on her shoes and grabbed a big sweater, heading down the stairs and out the front door, which was much easier to find in the daytime.

Heading down the front walkway, she could still see in the snow an imprint of where she had fallen, the rest untouched, as Heero had criticized her of. She walked into the middle, standing where she had fallen and looking up. How could she have lost her communicator and transformation wand?

She paled, realizing the enemy might have had them in their possession. What could they do with them? Perhaps nothing more than stop her from defending herself.

Heero glanced out the window by the front door suspiciously. Ami was standing, looking around where they had found her.

He grabbed Duo by the collar, making him look out the window and releasing him. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"She's standing where we found her- maybe making plans."

"Maybe Ami's just trying to figure out what happened to her Heero," Duo said with a role of her eyes.

"Don't say that name, that's not her name. I told you, she's not in the database."

"Well what if she's a child of war like we are, who took on a different name because she doesn't know who she really is thanks to losing her name or her family in the war. Did you ever think of that?"

Heero grunted and walked away, not accepting the answer.

Trowa walked by, sending a glance at Heero's retreating form and looking at Duo questioningly.

Duo shrugged, as Ami was opening up the front door, cleaning her feet on the mat outside and entering.

"Hey," she greeted, shutting the door quickly to stop the cold air from getting in and turning to look at Duo.

"Were you headed out?" He shook his head.

"Nah, I was just passing by."

Trowa nodded at her and continued on his way, wherever he had been headed, and Ami headed upstairs to take off her sweater. Had they been watching her?

* * *

The Senshi all stood outside Rei's temple, meeting quickly before heading off.

"Thank God that's over," Jupiter said, Mars agreeing. Neptune nodded as well, holding a tired Saturn piggy-back style.

"That battle was tough, but we made it through. They'll attack soon though," Uranus said, as the rest nodded.

"Hopefully we'll get a full nights rest before they do," Sailor Moon said, leaning against Tuxedo Mask tiredly. He nodded.

"Alright, let's just get home, I'm beat," Venus said, the rest agreeing and separating.

* * *

After dinner, which Ami again volunteered to help with, everyone sort of went their own ways.

Ami wandered the house a bit, finding herself on the third floor.

It had yet to be touched in the last few days, as it was dustier than the rest of the house. She imagined that this estate was probably smaller than Quatre's others, even though it was quite large.

Toward the end of the hall were two large wood doors. She pushed down on the handle of the door on the left. It swung open with a creak, more dust invading her nostrils and causing her to sneeze immediately as she peered in the dark room.

She took a tentative step in, her hands feeling the wall nest to her for a light switch. Turning them on, she realized she had stumbled upon the most beautiful library she had ever laid eyes on. The size was large for a home, probably triple the dining room, and the walls were lined with several books, most looking old and hard-cover. The center of the room had a few desks and couches, and Ami resisted throwing herself on one and calling the place home. After all, this new dimension meant a huge amount of new literature, at least to her. She could learn a lot here, and that way she would be more educated about this place.

"Ah, I forgot this place was here," a voice said behind her.

She turned, startled from her thoughts and noticing Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei in the doorway.

At her questioning glance, Quatre laughed. Trowa said nothing, and Wufei looked totally uninterested.

"Duo bought a lemon cake earlier, and he wanted to know if you were interested in desert. You weren't in your room, so Heero suggested we take a quick look around for you."

She nodded, although she was sure Heero was less concerned about her and more suspicious, maybe thinking she was snooping around for something, for what she didn't know. Placing a smile on her face, she grinned.

"Sorry, I just wanted to look around. The library is beautiful- really dirty though. Actually, this whole house could use a really good cleaning."

"I sent a cleaning crew out a few days before we came," Quatre explained, "I guess they didn't do that great a job."

"Well, we should clean up here. I'll at least do this floor, since it seems that your cleaning crew didn't even come up here," Ami offered.

"That's not necessary, someone will be paid to do that," Quatre said flippantly.

"No, don't bother with that. Anyways, it's the least I can do. I can have this floor done before nightfall."

"I know, but I have a few live-in maids and a chef arriving tomorrow, and they'll need something to do," he explained. "They're also bringing our Christmas decorations, so we can do the tree."

"Christmas?" Ami had forgotten. It was in less than two weeks. "Um...okay. Let's see to the business of that cake then."

"Finally," Wufei said, heading downstairs. Ami switched off the lights and shut the library door, following Trowa and Quatre downstairs.

* * *

Queen Andromache watched the scene before her with disgust. After a rough day of battle with the Senshi, Laycaon actually injured and half her youma destroyed, she was not happy to see the Mercury Senshi doing well in the other dimension. She would have to interfere, if not physically then subconsciously, with their dreams. She would make the soldiers the girl was staying with suspicious and she would make the girl depressed and upset. Perhaps the soldiers would rid her of the girl. There was already a suspicious one, she would start with him. She began to concentrate her energy, but paused when Laycaon entered the room, his nose bandaged and looking sour. He bowed quickly, standing before her and speaking. 

"My Queen, the troops are recuperating for battle tomorrow."

She nodded, still lost in her own thoughts. She would make the Mercury scout and one or two of the pilots have some pretty extreme dreams every night. It would lower their morale, but- perhaps not be effective enough to cause real trauma in the house. Sailor Pluto was watching her actions and would probably interfere if she physically caused trauma, such as sending a youma in, but there was one other talent she possessed that she had yet to brag about, even to Laycaon.

"I'm going to tamper with the dreams of the scout and soldiers, but I am doing one other thing. It drains me greatly, but will elevate the stress in the house enough so one of them will kill the scout. I have over the years developed the power to tamper with certain things, those being people's behaviour. I cannot physically make them do things, but I can tamper with their minds enough to change how they react to things. For example, if after scaring one of the soldiers with a bad dream, I can temporarily mess with his mood and mindset. If he would normally be calm after experiencing it, then his temper would be raging. If he would normally not care about the dream, he would suddenly feel compelled to learn more about it and take it literally. It could cause some serious damage between all of the housemates and we wouldn't even have to do anything else. The effects would last only a few minutes afterwards, but those few minutes would be both useful and entertaining. Watch me today, and I will train you on how to tap into these abilities tonight and grant you the power to be able to do what I am about to do. That way, I can concentrate on strategizing on the war with the Senshi while you fight and on the side mess with the other dimension- carefully. We do not need Pluto to interfere."

"Yes, my Queen," Laycaon bowed again. "I am honoured."

She nodded, and began to concentrate her energy, ready to explain the process as she did it.

"Watch closely."

_---_

_Jupiter dragged her limp left leg behind her, gasping in pain as a crack was clearly heard. She was covered in blood, but seemed to have a goal in mind as she continued through the pain.__"Where are you going? To help your friends, I presume," Laycaon said, crouching down next to her. "Unfortunately I can't allow that. They'll never see you again." He stood, and emotionlessly raised his hand, pointing a finger at her which seemed to begin to gather light at the end of its tip. After a moment, he pointed it at Jupiter's forehead, and released the thin beam, which tore straight through and out the back of her head before disappearing, Jupiter dropping to the ground limp._

Ami awoke with a scream, breathing heavily. Tears stung at her eyes, dangerously threatening to fall as she was unsure of whether to shrug it off as a bad dream or take it as a true vision of what was going on in her dimension.

"What the hell happened to you," Heero said from the doorway in his usual monotone. Next to Heero stood Trowa, whom was currently looking alert but tired.

"Sorry," she said quietly, looking away lest they see her eyes. "Are your rooms near by?"Heero folded his arms, staring at her critically so Trowa was left with no option but to speak to the strange girl.

"Mine's next door, his is down the hall. The rest are on the first floor."

Ami nodded, keeping her head down, her hands clenched tightly to the sheets.

"Well, again, sorry."

The two left, and Ami immediately threw her face into her pillow to quiet her sobs. It just couldn't be true.

Heero headed somewhat grouchily back to his room, intent on a good sleep, but did not have one.

_Ami headed down the hall very quietly, slipping downstairs and sneaking into the kitchen. She tiptoed in the dark, reaching for a dr__awer and pulling something out, quietly sliding the drawer shut. __Leaving the kitchen, she passed into the __living room, the large windows casting moonlight inside and glinting off the object she held in her grasp, a long knife._

_She headed past the stairs and down a long corridor, turning right and finding herself in the hallway where Quatre, Duo, and Wufei slept. Approaching the first door on her right, __D__uo's room, she quietly opened the door and slid in, shutting the door behind her. Once inside, she approached the bed, raising the knife in both her hands, before viciously beginning to stab Duo as he slept. His eyes opened wide, his scream silenced as she slit his throat. _

Heero awoke with a gasp, sweat, he realized, covering him. Leaping to his feet, he took off towards the stairs, heading by Trowa again, who stood in his doorway questioningly. Tearing down the steps, he made it to the hall where the other three slept quickly, throwing open Duo's door and flicking on the lights.

Dup sat up, looking shocked, and stared at Heero as if he were crazy. He climbed out of bed cautiously, donned in only a pair of boxers and approached Heero cautiously.

"Heero...buddy...what's going on?"

Heero stared at him a moment, before rushing into Quatre and then Wufei's rooms, taking a look and then stepping out. He stood in the hall a moment.

It had been so real, unlike anything that he had ever remembered dreaming. There was only one person to blame for how crazy he was feeling right now. He suddenly remembered that he had found Ami in this same hallway near his friends rooms last night.

He took off, heading back upstairs.

"What's wrong with you?" Trowa asked, meeting him at the top of the stairs. Heero ignored him, making a bee-line for Ami's room. She was out of bed at the commotion, standing at her doorway hugging her arms tightly around herself since she was clad in only Quatre's sister's thin white nightgown. Tear stains were apparent on her face and she immediately took a step back when she saw the uncharacteristic look of rage on Heero's face as he approached her.

In an instant he grabbed her, silencing her scream and taking both her wrists in one hand and shoving her against the old wood dresser roughly.

"So that's what you're planning?"

Ami had no idea what he was talking about, but she was suddenly very afraid for her life as she tried to pull away.

"Tell me what you're hiding," he growled, tightening his grip on her wrists and raising his arm right under her chin to make her look at him, pushing against her neck.

"Let me go!" she screamed, and Heero felt arms encircle him and roughly pull him away, them being Wufei and Trowa.

"Have you lost it, Yuy? Attacking a weak onna," Wufei stated incredulously.

Ami was about five feet away, crying again as Duo and Quatre tried to help her up.

"I have to leave, I have to get out of here," she said through her tears, accepting Duo's outstretched hand and stumbling to her feet, beginning to search the room for the clothes she had arrived with the day before.

Heero pulled free of Trowa and Wufei's grasps, shocked at his own behaviour but hiding it well. Ever since she had entered the house, everything had seemed to change. It had been under two days and yet Ami had all of the strikes against her from when she had entered the house, or more like fallen clear out of the sky.

He walked away moodily, leaving Trowa and Wufei staring after him with shock.

"Ami please stop, it's late where will you go?"

Ami ignored Quatre, finding her blood stained t-shirt and digging around the room for her sweater and jeans.

"Thank you for everything, but I want nothing else from you, I just want to leave."

"Look Ami, Heero's unfriendly but he's never done this before, we'll just go talk to him," Duo offered, scratching his head and not knowing what to do as he stood awkwardly.

"Are you kidding? He did the same thing last night, your friend is a nutcase," Ami said.

A look of realization took over Duo's face. "When I found you last night in the hall..."

Everyone looked at Duo questioningly.

Ami nodded vigorously, her breathing having calmed slightly as she found her jeans.

"Yes. I don't know what your friend is hiding or what he thinks I'm on to, but I'm not sticking around to find out."

Again, the four shared a look. She was intelligent.

"Ami," Duo attempted again. "It's late, we're all tired, at least wait until morning. We'll talk to Heero and sort this out then. Who knows what you'll run into at this time of night."

"There's a definite danger down the hall. He owns a gun!"

"Listen, I'm going to go talk to him right now. You just stay in here, just- everyone go to bed," Quatre said in a more commanding voice than usual.

"I would rather just leave," Ami stated, her tone flat.

"You can lock your door or stay in a guest room downstairs tonight. At least consider staying until breakfast tomorrow Ami, I promise this will never happen again," Duo said. After all, how many freak-outs could the perfect soldier possibly have in a lifetime?

Ami sighed. Despite the situation, she would probably end up sleeping on the floor somewhere if she left, in the freezing cold. Not to mention that they were outside of a town, in the country, which signalled bad conditions.

"Fine," she said. "I am locking my door."

* * *

Needless to say, everyone slept in the next morning. Ami awoke around ten and crept quietly out of her room. Everyone was still asleep. She headed into where she remembered the laundry room being, and washed her clothing, placing them in the dryer and sitting on the floor of the laundry room. In her sleepiness, she had not thought to change.

Where to now? She placed her head in her hands, inhaling deeply and sighing. This was a disaster. What if Makoto really was dead? She didn't know what she would do. She just needed to go home, however or even if ever that was possible. Couldn't Pluto interfere? Something had to be done. If only her computer had not been destroyed, then she could have analyzed where she had fallen and found a solution. She thought back on the night before. The dream could have been a trick from the enemy, it had happened to Mamoru before. Perhaps the enemy even had something to do with Heero's behaviour, although she somehow didn't believe that part.

Hearing a small gasp from her right, she looked up, spotting a woman in a maid's uniform standing at the doorway of the laundry room.

"Sorry miss, I was just getting my bearings for the place," she explained, her voice hurried.

Ami smiled, standing and approaching. "It's fine. I'm Ami." She reached out and shook the woman's hand.

"I'm Penelope," she said brightly. "Myself and about six other employees from Mr. Winner's main house arrived early this morning, but everyone was asleep except- umm...oh yes, Wufei, and he let us in and showed us to our quarters on the fourth floor of the estate before heading back to bed. We assumed all were early risers."

"Usually," Ami said, enjoying the woman's bright attitude, which only made her miss her friends more.

"What are you up to anyways, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Laundry," Ami replied, just as the dryer went off. She reached in and grabbed her jeans, sweater and t-shirt.

"I'm going to head up and change, it was nice meeting you," Ami said, heading out.

"Breakfast is going to be ready very soon," the maid called after her.

Ami headed upstairs quickly, showering and changing into her clothes. She headed downstairs, passing Trowa who nodded at her and continued on his way.

Heading downstairs, she met up with Quatre at the foot of the stairs, who began speaking immediately.

"Oh Ami, good morning, I wanted to come tell you that I spoke with Heero last night and-" he stopped when he noticed her clothing.

"Those are your clothes, you washed them and everything," he finished lamely, shaking his head.

"I appreciate all that you've done, but I cannot stay here. I have to try and get home."

"Oh, would you like to arrange a flight?"

She smiled. "Thanks, but it's not that simple."

He frowned. What, was she illegal? Did she have bad papers? Did she have any for that matter, she had arrived with the clothes on her back and that was it.

"If you stay just a few more days, tell us how we can help..." Normally Quatre would not have been so persistent, but he had a strange feeling, almost like if he let her leave, he was doing something wrong.

"I don't think you can," she admitted, as they entered the dining room their breakfast had been prepared at.

"Morning Ami," Duo said from the table, having already started on his eggs.

"Good morning Duo," Ami replied, sitting down. Quatre sat wordlessly, and Duo knew why. He had told Quatre earlier that he also had an odd feeling about her leaving the house, almost as if she needed protection but wasn't allowed to say what from.

Wufei was also seated at the table, as of yet silent. In truth, he had also been suspicious of the onna, but Yuy's odd behaviour the night before had confused him. It was very unlike Heero, and Wufei suspected the girl of having something to do with it. Judging from the now clean clothes she was wearing, the ones she had arrived in, he could only guess that she was planning on leaving.

Trowa entered the room next with a curt greeting and sat, beginning to eat, giving her clothing a once over and continuing. Silence filled the table, and Ami shifted in her seat. They were all so attentive to what she was wearing, that she found odd, and yet continued on silently, which relaxed her somewhat. The maid she had spoken to earlier, Penelope, entered the room to set some more croissants on the table.

She and Ami smiled at each other.

"Hello again Miss Ami," she said brightly.

"You know each other?" Quatre asked, glancing between the two.

"Oh Master Quatre, Miss Ami and I had the pleasure of meeting this morning," the maid replied exiting the room.

Heero entered the room when everyone was just about finished, sitting down wordlessly. He looked tired, and he grabbed a croissant and munched on it silently, glaring at anyone who dared speak to him. Ami took this as her cue to leave the room, not too interested in talking to him either way. She took a sip of her orange juice and grabbed her plate and glass, standing and meeting another maid at the doorway leading into the kitchen. She took the plate and thanked her, and Ami turned to head upstairs.

As soon as she was gone, Wufei spoke up.

"We can't let her leave."

All jaws dropped at the table. Duo cleared his throat.

"Wu-man, what are you not telling us," he said suggestively, and Wufei's cheeks turned slightly red but he shook his head, an angry look appearing on his face.

"No Maxwell, you idiot! Last night when we headed over to talk to Heero, he mentioned having that strange dream, hence his strange behaviour."

Heero's glare did not die down but he nodded.

"I had a dream after we headed off to bed the second time that night, and it involved the onna as well," Wufei said lowly, and everyone leaned in to hear. "She was speaking to someone, talking to them about attaining information, and she said she had everything she needed and that she was leaving. I don't know who could have wanted anything on us, or even if I trust that this is true, but I have a gut feeling that letting her leave is a mistake. If she has information, we're letting her walk out with it. If not, or if she hasn't attained anything yet, we can keep an eye on her. I've never really believed in dreams warning of anything real, but never have any of my dreams been so...vivid. I felt like I was watching it like a movie."

Heero was suddenly interested. "It was the same with me."

"I don't think she's guilty of anything personally," Quatre said, "but like Duo and I discussed, I think we should ask her to stay."

"And if she's a danger..." They looked to Heero.

"I think we can handle ourselves," Duo said flippantly.

"Good, it's settled then," Quatre said, standing up. "All we need now is for Heero to apologize and all will be forgiven."

Everyone began vigorously nodding, but Heero's glare intensified.

"Come on Heero, it's for the good of everyone," Duo said.

"Hn." He glanced around. Even Trowa and Wufei were nodding. He sighed, hating them all right now, as he stood, headed for the stairs.

Ami had undoubtedly headed for her room before leaving or plotting, neither of which he was sure of.

He knocked on her door, pausing a moment when he heard a low voice respond. "Come on in."

Heero did just that, and she stood when he entered, unaccompanied and not looking too happy.

He stared at her a moment, saying nothing, and she stood her ground, staring back with a bewildered expression on her face.

Heero mentally sighed. He felt ridiculous, especially since he was certainly not sorry for his actions.

"I came here to...apologize." He said the words in his typical monotone, but he felt like he had just ingested a large amount of poison and could not imagine Wufei having to make the same apology.

Ami stared at him a moment, as if deciding if he was sincere.

"It's fine," she said simply, beginning to move past him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving."

"Don't go Ami," Duo said, seemingly having appeared out of thin air. Ami stopped in the doorway.

"We can sincerely promise you Ami, that there will be no more incidents. Please stay, I'll feel so guilty if you leave like this," Quatre said. The other two were there as well, actually agreeing.

"No," Ami said hesitantly. "You should all be enjoying your vacation."

"You clearly don't know where you're going," Wufei pointed out, although it sounded like he didn't really care.

"Give it a few more days, maybe you'll figure things out by then," Quatre added.

"We're doing the Christmas tree later," Duo added energetically.

Ami thought a few more minutes, wondering why they wanted her to stay all of a sudden.

'I must be crazy,' she thought to herself, beginning to nod. She knew differently however. It was not madness that was making her stay here. It was desperation.

* * *

Again, please vote! (No Usagi) This is your last chance! 


	4. Getting Comfortable

Hey all, thanks for your reviews! Before I announce the pairings, let's clarify I don't hate Usagi, lol, actually I like her but I like Usagi/Mamoru pairings, so I don't want to pair her with a pilot since I think she's already perfectly matched. Now for the rest...

Ami/Trowa won, lol, by a landslide (sorry to those who opposed) (If u really want to see Ami with other pairings, check out my other stories I've paired her with everyone but Trowa)

As for the rest of the couples, I know who they but I'm not telling yet so you'll just have to be patient!

Also, in case anyone was confused about the dreams, there is a section of dialogue between the enemies explaining it in the last chapter. It describes the behaviour as well as the dreams themselves. Any other theories you have on the good stuff are interesting to hear though.

Also, thank you to anyone who gave me ideas, they're all very good and I will try to see what I can incorporate into the fic, now on with the story... REMEMBER: The enemy is getting involved with the behaviour of everyone in the fic like the last chapter after those dreams, so if the characters seem OOC for a few minutes, it's just for those few minutes.

* * *

Chapter 4

Later on that afternoon, everyone was seated in the living room. It was quiet, to say the least.

Ami shifted in her seat, having nothing to say as her mind was on other things. Duo and Quatre attempted to make idle chat, all of which died quickly.

"Master Quatre, we've unloaded many of the decorations," a maid said, knocking on the door. He looked up, almost relieved.

"Yes, of course. Everyone, care to decorate the tree?"

Ami stared as Trowa and Duo stood, Wufei and Heero remaining seated but nodding. She hadn't even noticed the bare pine tree in the corner of the room.

Big brown boxes of decorations were carried in, and the maids all took an assortment of them and busied themselves with them on the rest of the estate. The box for the tree was left in the living room for them.

Duo began to unpack the box eagerly, seemingly having been looking forwards to it. Quatre crouched down next to him as well, as the group all stood around, taking various decorations and placing them on the walls, although Wufei and Heero seemed less enthused.

"Come help me with the lights Ami," Duo said, and she looked up, feeling awkward and out of place.

"It's alright," she said, waving her hands in front of her and looking slightly flustered, hating that they pitied her as well.

"No, come help," he said again, "We need it."

Reluctantly, she stood, holding the bunches of lights as Duo plugged them in to make sure they were working and unravelled them. Trowa and Quatre were currently just setting out the stuff in the box so that they could see what they had.

"Most of this stuff was bought by the maids on the way over apart from the lights," Quatre was saying to Trowa, whom was nodding as he continued. "After all my family didn't usually celebrate Christmas."

"Alright, we are going to have one messed up crazy-colored tree," Duo said, surveying the different lights.

"It's prettier that way," Ami commented softly, staring at all the different lights. Duo thought for a moment, before nodding.

"You're right."

"Let's string up the lights now," Quatre said, "So we can put up the ornaments."

"Master Quatre, can a few of you help with the lights outside," a maid asked meekly from the doorway.

"Of course. Heero, Wufei, care to help?"

"Fine," Wufei said, Heero following soon after Quatre exited.

Ami began helping Duo string the lights around the back of the tree as he was doing the front.

Duo passed around her, string of lights in hand and fixing the lights above her head. Trowa stood to adjust a light on top on the other side of the tree, Duo passing by him with the string of lights as well and adjusting a clump of lights to his left.

Ami moved to step away from the area she had been working on around the branches and felt a tug at her back. She frowned, reaching back and feeling for the lights Duo had un-doubtably used to wrap her to the tree, but she couldn't reach them.

"Duo," she said, but he didn't respond. Trowa was also in a similar situation, and reached around, finding the lights around the back of his knees, wrapped around him twice. Slightly annoyed at Duo's lame joke but not letting it get to him, he stealthily stepped out of them, tugging at them slightly.

The ones around Ami's back tightened, and she peered around the tree to see that Trowa had stepped out.

"Duo," she repeated, but he had run from the room. Sighing, she began to try and grasp for them. They were above her mid- back slightly and she could barely grab them.

Feeling a tug at them all of a sudden, she turned to see Trowa trying to untangle the two sets of lights around her. He managed to loosen them and raised them as Ami ducked out from underneath them.

"Thanks Trowa," she said, finding herself blushing for no particular reason.

"No problem," he said, shocking Ami and walking away for a moment, plugging in the last of the lights and picking up some ornaments.

Ami was still standing where she had been, and he smirked slightly. He stared at her a moment, almost calculating what he saw in front of him, before speaking again. "Surprised?"

She shook her head, coming to pick up some ornaments and speaking. "No, no it's just that I've never heard you say anything," she said sheepishly, realizing that he was the type to never speak on impulse.

He nodded. "Let's finish the tree."

Duo pranced in the room, slightly jealous of the attention Trowa was receiving as he had been spying. The five had become good friends over the many years since the war, and Trowa would normally speak to them- however he knew that for all of Trowa's intelligence he was usually silent around those he didn't know. Hence why he was surprised that Trowa had spoken to Ami at all, even smirked at her- although Duo had always had the feeling Trowa was just bursting to come out of his shell and speak freely.

"Hey all, let's finish up here. Good thing it was you guys and not Wu-man!"

* * *

"Heero," Quatre said once outside the room, "Stop glaring at Ami. We're not on the battle-field. We all have to live in this house too."

Heero glared at him. "This very well could be a battle field. Until we are sure she is a civilian, I guarantee nothing."

"Yes, stop your concern for the onna, Winner," Wufei added as they walked down the hall.

Quatre sighed. "You too?"

He nodded.

Quatre shook his head. The house felt very tense, unlike what it was usually like when the five were together. He had been looking forwards to the vacation. He had become very fond of all his friends in the many years since the war and hated that the house felt so strained right now.

"Let's just go put up the lights." Wufei nodded at Quatre's words, following after him with his face looking slightly confused with all the thoughts going through his head. Heero followed behind them stoically, unable to shake the funny feeling he had in the pit of his stomach that something very bad was coming and it had everything to do with Ami, if that was her real name.

* * *

"Usagi," Rei called softly, tossing a stone lightly at Usagi's bedroom window and sighing. It was 2:00 in the morning and Usagi was sleeping through the calls on her communicator. Rei had a funny feeling that something was going to happen that night, and wanted to call a meeting. All were now present, even Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru. Mamoru walked up next to her, knowing Rei was going to get very frustrated and quickly.

"Usako," he called lightly, repeating himself only slightly louder a second time. The bedroom window next to Usagi's opened, and Usagi's father poked his head out, looking irritated to say the least.

In the dark and after Rei had jumped back hidden in the shadows with her friends, he only spotted Mamoru.

"You! What do you think you're doing outside my daughter's window at 2:00 in the morning!"

This finally woke Usagi up, who came to the window grouchily, looking next to her at her enraged father and looking down at Mamoru, who seemed more scared of him than any enemy they had ever faced.

"Uh...dad..."

"Don't you _dad_ me Usagi." He turned to Mamoru. "Did you call her Usako!?!?!?!"

Everyone scattered, running in every direction from sheer fear as Usagi quickly mumbled something about being tired and shut her window. Her father grouchily headed back to bed, slamming his window closed.

About 10 minutes later, Usagi snuck out via the front door, meeting her friends around the corner from the house. All looked tired. Rei looked pissed, Mamoru still looked winded and scared, and the rest were kind of laughing at her.

"I'm sorry guys, I can't believe the communicator didn't wake me up," she said sheepishly.

"It's fine," Minako said. "Usagi, Rei had a bad feeling that something was going to happen tonight."

"So we rounded everyone together," Makoto explained.

"Okay, where are we headed?"

"The park I think," Michiru said. "Rei's grandfather is sleeping and we need some place to think or wait that's not too far away from everything."

All agreed. After about 15 minutes of walking, they were across the street from the park, but before Hotaru could take a step across the street Haruka roughly grabbed her arm and shoved her back. This happened mere seconds before the pavement beneath Hotaru's feet was ripped from the ground, continuing like a rippling effect down the street as if the ground was merely boards or even carpet.

"Wha-" Hotaru said, shocked at how close death suddenly felt as she staggered backwards, being caught around the shoulders by Makoto.

The group turned to their left, trying to see who the attacker was. The sidewalk beneath their feet began to shake, and everyone leapt away in different directions, Usagi's scream pounding in their ears. "Transform!"

* * *

Ami stretched out on a couch in the library. It was around midnight, but she couldn't sleep. In her hand was a book that Quatre had explained to her was a classic. She had nodded, telling him she'd heard of it and had always wanted to read it. In truth, it was an excellent book and since Ami's knowledge of anything in this dimension was limited, she supposed she'd probably better read it. Not that she wasn't enjoying herself, in fact the novel was wonderful.

Trowa rounded the corner and moved to head into the library, not at all tired since they had all slept in. He froze in the doorway, noticing that Ami was stretched out stomach down on one of the couches in the center of the room. She was propped up by her elbows, her ankles crossed and looking totally immersed in the novel. His eyes traveled over the curves of her body quickly before he lectured himself and looked away, eyes moving to her face. She suddenly looked up, her bright blue eyes meeting his green ones before blushing slightly and quickly moving to a sitting position.

"Sorry," he said quickly, wondering if she'd seen him looking. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's alright, you're not disturbing me," she said, smiling suddenly. "I'm just really into the book."

"I could tell," he said, getting used to the idea of talking to her very quickly and surprising himself as he walked over.

"What are you reading?" She smiled again and held the book's cover up.

"A classic," he said, "It's my favorite."

"It is very good," she mused. "I am really enjoying it."

"If you liked that..." he said, moving past her towards a book shelf along the back. He returned holding a red novel. "Try this one next." She accepted the book.

"Thank you," she said, looking it over.

Heero and Duo, whom had been heading up to look for Trowa, heard voices from the library.

Duo was about to walk in, but Heero grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back, listening behind the closed part of the double doors and backing away slowly with Duo still in his grip.

Heero grabbed Duo around the mouth to keep him quiet until they were further down the hall.

Quickly releasing him, Heero spoke quietly. "This is getting weird."

"You're telling me," Duo replied. "He was talking to her earlier too!"

"He doesn't do this often, and I don't want him attached if she has bad intentions," Heero said, looking down the hall to make sure the two had not emerged from the room.

"Heero, personally I think that nothing is wrong and that it is time that poor Trowa has some fun. Outside the circus I mean, that's loads of fun."

"Be serious. She's a threat."

"Whatever you say, Hee-man. I'm going in there, I want some attention too."

Before Heero could stop him, Duo walked into the room.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Ami climbed into bed somewhat anxiously. She was nervous to fall asleep. What if Makoto really was dead, and she was about to have a dream telling her that more of her friends had fallen? Also, if it was an enemy trick, were her hosts also having these false dreams that were perhaps responsible for their behavior?

She sighed, knowing that it would do no good. She turned over on her side and tried to sleep.

* * *

Laycaon hurried down the corridors, finding the room he was looking for and heading in. He had exited the late night battle with the Senshi early knowing that they would fight again the next day. He concentrated his energy a moment, trying to repeat what he had seen his Queen do the night before.

First, he conjured up another dream for the Mercury Senshi. Then, since his Queen had sent dreams to two of the men the night before, Heero and Wufei, he chose to send similar dreams to the other three: Trowa, Quatre and Duo.

When he was done and felt sufficiently drained, Laycaon headed to his quarters to recuperate his energy.

_

* * *

"Yes, I know the job. I know what I have to do."_

_Ami placed the phone down on the receiver with dull thud, standing and turning to her right, where she headed towards her dresser. She moved her hands down to the last drawer in the dark, finding__ a dark object and shutting the drawer. _

_As she stood, light glinted against the metal of the object. She held it behind her back slightly and tiptoed across the hall, heading strait for Heero's room. She opened the door, and raised the gun. A loud bang shot through the room-_

Trowa woke up with a gasp, jumping from his bed.

_

* * *

"What have you found out?" __The room was dark, but they could make out a certain blue-haired figure facing someone. _

_"Not enough, yet.." _

"_Our time is limited. Find out what we need to know before I send in some assistance, understood?"_

_"Yes."_

Quatre and Duo both woke up at this point. The two leapt from their beds, meeting in the hall.

"I just had the weirdest dream," Duo blurted out.

"Me too," Quatre replied. "It was as Wufei had described, I felt like I was watching from an outside perspective."

"I'm not the type to believe in these things," Quatre said.

"Me neither, but I feel like it has to be true, like I have to do something about it."

"Me too," Quatre said, as the two began to walk down the hall. Wufei stood in their path.

"Where are you going?"

"Move Wufei," Quatre commanded, sounding very impatient and unlike himself.

Wufei did not. "When I had the dream, I felt like doing something totally irrational or different from what I normally would do. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that if you do anything now you'll regret it within the hour, just like Yuy did. Something strange is going on and we can't do anything about it right now. Get in your rooms."

The two stared at each other, and back to Wufei.

"You're right Wufei, we were acting more irrational than usual. We'll talk in the morning," Quatre said, as the group dispersed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Trowa was looking in Heero's door, trying to be as silent as possible. Would he ever listen to a dream? His typical response would be 'never.' However, he had a very odd feeling going through him right now. His chest felt very heavy and his breathing was haggard and he wondered if Heero had felt this way after experiencing a similar dream. He was being ridiculous. He had fought in wars, and now he was all upset over a dream.

He intended to head back to his room, but found his feet moving him back to Ami's.

_

* * *

Mars screamed, feeling her whole body start to burn. __She struggled to get away from Laycaon, but he pursued._

_"The Mars Senshi can't take her own medicine. That's a true shame,"__ Laycaon taunted, as the fire in his hands doubled in size, engulfing her entire body and silencing her forever._

_"This world will soon be ours for the taking," Queen Andromache said, floating down next to Laycaon, who stared at Mars' body with no sympathy. _

Ami sat up, hands clenching her sheets as she tried to remain calm. She wouldn't believe it, it had to be a trick.

'What if it isn't,' a voice in the back of her head reminded. 'What if I just watched one of my best friends get burned alive.'

Ami shook her head. She wouldn't believe it. Makoto and Rei were fine, she just knew it.

Looking up, she saw Trowa in the doorway of the room. The normally passive expression on his face was gone, and he seemed somewhat alarmed as he stared at her, calculating her reaction.

"Trowa? Why are you up?"

'Couldn't sleep," he responded, entering the room boldly and heading for her dresser, speaking to her as he opened up the bottom drawer. "Why are you up?"

"Same reason," she said suspiciously, climbing out of bed and approaching him as he dug through the drawer. Taking a few steps more with her arms clutched around her white nightgown, she stood behind him.

"What are you doing?"

He stopped and stayed knelt there for a few more seconds, his shoulders sagging. He had come to search for the gun from the dream, but the drawer contained no such item. He himself couldn't understand his behavior. Turning to face her, he slowly stood. The passive expression on his face had returned.

"Sorry," he said. "I thought I left something in here a few days ago." The excuse was lame, he knew, but he had nothing more to say on the matter.

Ami shrunk back a few steps, but nodded all the same, suddenly remembering the incident with Heero the other night.

He stared at her a few moments more and it was quite unnerving, before speaking. "I'll leave you to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she responded, and he walked out briskly.

Ami climbed back into bed, somewhat confused at his behavior yet having too many other things to think about.

* * *

The next morning, Trowa woke up very early. He woke up Heero and the two headed downstairs to talk to the other three before Ami woke up.

When all five were seated in Quatre's room, Trowa spoke up, telling them about the dream and how he had checked Ami's room. Quatre and Duo shared their dreams and how Wufei had stopped them from heading upstairs out of irrationality.

"Something weird is going on," Duo said.

"Yes, I normally do not believe in such things, but I'm now between wondering if she's out to get us or if by Divine intervention we're supposed to help her," Quatre said.

"I don't believe in Divine intervention. Something is going on and we should find out what it is. Can nobody get her to talk?" All looked at Heero as he spoke.

"The onna has taken a liking for Maxwell, I believe," Wufei said.

"Not just me. She likes Quatre too and um...and Trowa," Duo said, ending his sentence with a smile at Trowa.

Trowa was unfazed.

"Well," Heero continued, "she hates me-might be able to tolerate Wufei if he watches his mouth, but yes, you three are her most preferred."

"Then it's settled. The five of us try to get Ami to talk. Wufei and Heero must try to also get on her good side," Duo concluded.

"Fine, fine," Quatre said. "I think the cook is already making breakfast. Let's get in the kitchen before she wakes up and figures us out."

* * *

Ami, after showering and changing, headed downstairs. All five of her hosts were up and eating breakfast.

"Hey, good morning Ami," Duo said brightly.

"Morning," she responded with a strained smile, not having slept well at all after her dream about Rei.

"We've got hash-browns today Ami, why don't you have some," Quatre offered, placing some on a plate for her.

"They're good with eggs," Duo interjected and the plate was passed to Trowa, whom added some scrambled eggs to her plate.

"Yes, and some orange juice," Wufei said suddenly, pouring her a glass and passing it over.

Ami froze after accepting the juice from Wufei of all people, staring at all of them suspiciously. What were they all up to?

The group sat nervously under her gaze a moment, before Heero commented on the weather. The table came alive with talk on the weather, as he had hoped, and Ami soon began eating her breakfast and shrugged off their odd behavior- temporarily.

"I thought we could all go to a museum in the next town today," Quatre said as everyone was just finishing up breakfast. "We have been sitting around here a lot."

"That sounds good," Heero agreed, everyone nodding any eying Ami.

"Well Ami?" She looked up at Quatre.

"Oh, you can all go- have fun."

"You don't want to come?" She looked over at Duo.

"I shouldn't."

"Why not?" She turned to Trowa.

"I just...don't worry about it. All of you, go, enjoy."

"Well if you stay I don't want to go," Duo announced.

Ami sighed.

"Duo, don't say that."

"Well?"

"Fine," Ami said.

Quatre stood. "Good, we'll take two cars. Who's driving?"

* * *

Heero ended up volunteering to drive the car the pilots had arrived in. From the garage of the estate, Trowa asked to drive another car.

Heading downstairs, Quatre turned on the lights of the garage, and Ami's eyes bulged open. The garage was underneath the estate like a basement level, and to leave you had to drive up a ramp leading out to what looked like a regular garage. It was huge, and there were too many kinds of cars for Ami to list, not that she was good with such things. Ami in truth could repair cars, but she wasn't very good with brands.

Trowa took a liking to a little sports car in the garage.

"That's a great drive from what I remember," Quatre explained, "but it only seats two."

"Not a problem," Heero interjected, already forming a plan in his mind. "The four of us will go in the car we arrived in, and Trowa and Ami can ride in this one."

Everyone separated before any more could be said, and Ami frowned, looking over at Trowa.

As the four headed upstairs, Duo spoke up. "Why did you do that?"

Before Heero responded, Wufei cut in.

"Hello Maxwell! The car is a two-seater. If Ami rides in the car with more people in it, she'll be less likely to talk. If she's riding with one other person, it'll be easier to get her to speak."

Duo nodded, seeing the strategy yet having wanted to ride in the sports car himself.

Ami and Trowa climbed in the car, silence passing between them. Trowa started up the car and drove up the ramp leading to the door Quatre had opened. He pulled up next to the car the others were sitting in, and Quatre opened the window, sitting in the passenger's seat.

"You're following us, right?"

Trowa nodded, and Quatre shut his window, Trowa also shutting his. Ami buckled up, shivering slightly.

Seeing this, Trowa turned on the heat and followed Heero down the driveway.

They rode in silence a few minutes, knowing that the drive to the next town was double the length of the time it took to go to the library last time, about 45 minutes.

Trowa racked his brain for something to say. Although he had found Ami very easy to talk to, which was unusual for him, since the previous night it felt awkward.

"Sorry if I scared you last night," he said suddenly, glancing over at her. Ami looked over at him.

"It's fine," she said unsurely, having lost a bit of trust in him since then. The two turned and stared back at the road, another long, uncomfortable silence passing between them.

Again, Trowa tried to find something to say. After all, Heero had divided the cars for a reason when he had approached the two-seater, and it was pointless for him not to try and get information.

"So do you enjoy museums?" Okay, it wasn't the best, but he knew it could get him somewhere.

"Yes," Ami responded. "I love this sort of thing actually."

"Did you go to museums often in Japan?" Ami glanced over at him from the corner of her eye, before responding.

"Not really, I didn't always have the time."

"Why not?"

"I'm a student," she said stiffly. "University is a lot of work. I couldn't juggle everything."

'She's lying, not about being a student but about the work. I can tell by her tone,' he thought.

"What about you? Is this your sort of thing?" He glanced at her, before turning his attention back to the road quickly. Now she was questioning him? Okay...

"Yes, it is. I can't always make time, but it is."

"Why? Are you a student as well?"

"No, I'm always busy at work."

"What do you do?"

"Law enforcement," he responded quickly, and she nodded, seemingly unfazed by his quick round of answers.

"Well, do you all work together? Is that how you know each other?"

He nodded, but realizing she wasn't looking at him, he spoke. "Yes, for a few years now."

"That's nice," she said flippantly, looking out the window.

Okay, now it was tense again. Trowa glanced over at her, but she was content looking out the window.

"When did you leave Japan?"

She froze, turning to stare at him, but he kept his gaze on the road.

"Not too long ago," she responded, keeping her answers generic. What was he up to?

Trowa noticed this, and decided she was too suspicious right now to ask any more. His goal now was to just earn her trust.

He turned on the radio. A rock song came on, and he spoke.

"Do you like this song?"

She hesitated a moment, before speaking.

"Yes."

"Good." He turned up the radio, and the two sat in silence for the rest of the ride.

They arrived at the museum and parked the cars, all getting out and heading for the front doors.

"Man, Quatre that was a long ride."

Quatre looked over at Duo. "Sorry, it was further than I remembered..."

Upon entering the museum, the group headed into the right portion of it under a big arch. They passed by several paintings and statues, before stopping in the next room and taking it slow.

Ami stared at a painting to her right, stopping to get a better look. The painting seemed Greek in origin, depicting the Moon goddess Selene staring down at the earth, at her lover Endymion. Ami smiled. The Greeks were very smart. Her mind floated back to her friends, but her thoughts were disrupted.

"Greek mythology? You like it?"

"Some aspects," she said, turning to look at Trowa whom had walked up next to her.

"I myself find it intriguing. Looks like there could be a story there."

"I'm sure there is," Ami responded.

The rest of the day went very smoothly, apart from Duo growing bored beyond all reason. Surprisingly, Wufei and Heero remained friendly to her.

They all grabbed a bite to eat before heading home.

* * *

When they pulled up in the driveway, it was about 4:00. Everyone climbed out of the cars and headed towards the front door, before Duo gasped from the right.

"Are you serious!?!?" On the snowy lawn, in the center, was a body much like how they had found Ami. Suspiciously, the group approached, Ami running ahead.

On the ground laid Makoto. She was moving around slightly, as if she was just coming to. The group stared in disbelief as Ami ran to her, noticing that there were also no footsteps leading up to where the brunette lay.

'Just like Ami,' Heero thought, eyes hardening.

"Mako," Ami said, almost unable to breath from relief and fear as she was on her knees, helping her friend sit up.

Makoto opened her eyes and stared Ami in the face.

At the same time, both of them spoke. Makoto's "I can't believe I found you!" blending with Ami saying "I thought you were dead." The pilots gasped, the group looking more horrified and curious by the second.

After this, Makoto passed out. Ami stood, knees shaking as she pulled her friend's body up. Quatre was shaken out of his stupor and rushed over to carry Makoto.

Penelope opened the door, gasping and moving aside as Quatre rushed in the house to set her down.

Ami ran in after him, the other four pilots following but slower, talking in hushed voices.

A few of the maids brought in hot cloths for Mako's forehead and began fussing over her, Ami joining in the fray and the commotion quieting down.

"I hope you all noticed what I did," Heero said as Quatre stepped back to join his friends.

"We couldn't miss it," Quatre said stoically, as the group stared at the unconscious newcomer and Ami.

* * *

About a half hour later, Makoto came to. Ami had found a dry set of clothes for her and the two were sitting talking in hushed voices on the couch when the pilots entered the room.

"Ah, you're up," Quatre said. Ami could only imagine how much arguing had gone on in the next room before they entered. Makoto smiled. "Yes, thank you for everything." Ami did a double take at her friend's suddenly dream voice, and rolled her eyes. Makoto was looking at each pilot in turn, seemingly in a daze.

"Not a problem. So you're a friend of Ami's?"

In truth, they had all argued in the next room, especially since Duo and Quatre's dream had entailed Ami speaking on the phone and someone saying that they were sending someone else to help her, hence Makoto. Plus, Ami had told the girl she thought she was dead, and the girl had been looking for Ami. In the end, they decided that flipping out like they had with Ami would not be a good idea, and chose to treat it as they were with Ami. Be extra nice and try to gain as much information as possible, while revealing nothing about themselves.

"Yes," Makoto responded, snapping out of her daze and looking at Ami. The two did not have much of a chance to discuss anything, and she was waiting to know where she was and what was going on.

Ami smiled. "Makoto, these are Quatre, Duo, Trowa, Wufei and Heero. This is Quatre's estate."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Makoto Kino," Makoto said, smiling at them innocently. Heero kept the name in mind, vowing to search her name like he had for Ami.

Quatre stared at the woman in front of him. She had brown hair in a pony tail and emerald green eyes. Her smile did not falter as she stared back at him. 'Beautiful.'

"Geez Ami, do you and your friends come from a land filled with only gorgeous people," Duo joked.

Makoto laughed, and Ami smiled.

"Are you hungry?" All looked to Quatre and back to Makoto.

"Starved, actually. I missed breakfast."

* * *

Ami lead Makoto upstairs, claiming that they wanted to wash up before dinner. Makoto wasted no time in attacking Ami with questions once they were out of earshot.

"Oh my God Ami! Where are we?"

"First, I need to know whether or not you have your transformation wand."

"Hmm? Why do you ask? I do." Makoto pulled it out. Ami sighed in relief.

"Mine was taken from me sometime when I fell, that and my communicator."

Both girls' eyes widened as they stared at Makoto's communicator, still intact. The two went running into Ami's room and began pushing every button possible.

Nothing, all static. Clearly disappointed, the two fell back onto the bed.

"Here's my theory then, before you explain everything else to me. On your transformation wand, I mean," Makoto said. Ami glanced over at her.

"You were injured, right? I bet when you fall into the gate, your transformation disappears, and since you were injured and unconscious Laycaon had an easy time taking your stuff. I myself was conscious- well at least until I hit the ground." Makoto laughed at the last part, grimacing slightly.

"I see. So as long as our friends, if and when they are sent here, can fend for themselves, no one else should lose their transformation wands," Ami concluded.

"Right, so I guess they want us to go down for dinner," Makoto said, holding her grumbling stomach. "You can explain to me where we are and what's going on afterwards, and I'll tell you what happened before I got here and what we know."

"Sounds good," Ami said, grinning at Makoto. "It's awful that we're stuck here, but I have to say it's so good to have you here with me."

Makoto hugged Ami. "I choose to remain positive," she said with a laugh. "Plus, we missed you and I'm pretty relieved to know you're alright."

"Ami! Uh…Makoto! Dinner, I'm hungry!" Duo's voice rang through the house.

Ami rolled her eyes. "Let's go before he eats everything."

"For sure, I'd have to fight him. I'm so hungry!"

* * *

Yay, so Makoto's joined the fray. By the way, the thing with Selene and Endymion is true. Naoko Takeuchi knew whae she was doing, lol. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to voice it in your reviews, but don't worry all will be explained in the next chapter. Review! 


	5. Falling

Thanks for your reviews, I hope some questions are answered in this LONG chapter, lol.

Chapter 5

Ami and Makoto sat cross legged on Ami's bed. Dinner had ended about an hour before, and the two had immediately claimed to be tired and barricaded themselves in Ami's room. Makoto had been set up in a free room downstairs, and she was listening patiently as Ami explained everything she knew so far about this dimension and also the events of the last few days.

"That sounds rough Ames. I'm glad I'm here with you. I wonder what's up with those dreams though," Makoto commented, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder in an annoyed fashion. Ami nodded as she eyed Makoto, waiting for her to explain her end of the ordeal.

"So..." Ami said, and Makoto hesitated.

"You still didn't tell me anything. How is everyone back home? What's up so far?" Makoto stared at Ami a moment, her eyes beginning to look a bit glassy.

"Well, truth be told we battled latelast night and from then on we had non-stop fighting. There were a lot of attacks, more than what we could keep up with and...we've lost some civilians."

Ami felt her stomach flip flop. In all the years they'd fought, about five now, no civilians had been killed by their battles. They had always been smaller scale, yielding injuries to those directly involved perhaps but somehow always saving innocent lives from being lost. There had never been large-scale youma attacks with the intent of killing and not just draining energy. Ami knew she and the Senshi were not yet prepared for the reality of human loss on their behalf- it was hard enough to lose an enemy who suddenly realized their faults.

"How many," she asked, her voice sounding more hoarse than she thought it would.

Makoto hesitated again, before her eyes hardened and she managed to spit out the number.

"63 dead, 235 injured the last I saw."

Ami groaned, her head dropping onto her hands.

"How?"

"There were a few lost by random youma attacks, but Andromache sent some of her minions to try and mess up the downtown area a bit. We luckilly got there fast, but two establishments crumbled and people were trapped inside.We finished digging people up probably an hour before I was sent here. We knew Laycaon and Andromache were around even though they had temporarily retreated. I was helping a paramedic dig out this woman we heard screaming underneath the rubble, and I heard an arguement behind me. I thought it was Andromache's voice- she was screaming 'just send her and get her out of my hair, I don't care what it does to you' and when I turned around I was pretty much face to face with the gate."

Ami sat speechless.

"We spoke to Pluto a few days ago. She said she couldn't reach in and pluck you out of here because it was too much of a risk, and she herself would be breaking the laws that Laycaon broke. If he physically interfere's with the well being of this world though, she can cut in. Right now she's afraid that he's going to cause a tear in the barrier between the parallel demensions. If he does that, then the evil could move between worlds as they please."

"I...I hope that isn't the case, but we have to get home and help them," Ami said, fear lining her voice.

"Right now Ames, we're stuck."

Ami felt disheartened, to say the least. How long before Andromache killed everyone?

* * *

Laycaon paced around his quarters angrilly. Thanks to Anromache's demands, he was severely drained. If she kept making him send Senshi across the gate, he would be unable to fight and also have Pluto on his ass about the ordeal.

"Laycaon."

He froze, knowing it was his Queen's voice and turned to bow.

"I know I mentioned we couldn't yet interfere physically in the other demension but I've-" she paused, and smiled. "I've taken care of a pest."

He blinked at her, and she laughed.

"Sailor Pluto is currently chained up in the basement. Her time staff is locked in my office should we need to travel through time, but we are not yet prepared."

Laycaon smiled at her words.

"But my Queen," he said suddenly, bowing lower. "I am very drained of energy."

"That's why I'm here," she said flipantly, approaching him. "I am granting you some extra power, enough so that sending Senshi across demensions and youma as well will surely not weaken you as much."

He smiled broadly. "Thank you, my kind Queen."

She placed her hand over his bowed head, and it glowed brightly for a moment before Laycaon felt a surge of power through his veins. He stood straighter and stared at his hands a moment, feeling stronger than ever before.

"Rest a bit," she said, turning to leave. "Then do me proud. I will not accept failure."

* * *

"Mako's gone," Usagi said in a hallow voice to Haruka, who sat down at her words. The other Senshi were dispersed in various places around the temple. It was a rare break from all the battles of the last few days.

"First Ames, then Mako, and over sixty people are dead." Haruka looked over at Usagi at the soundofher dull voice.

"We can't contact Setsuna. I think something may have happened to her." Usagi nodded, tears brimming her eyes.

"Great," she choked out.

Haruka wanted to say something- but could find no words to alleviate the pain involved with the harsh situation. Things were worsening very quickly. No longer could they laugh as they threw rocks at Usagi's window, or look on hopefully when a youma was defeated.

Haruka stood.

"Hey!"

Everyone looked up, seeming bleary-eyed and tired.

"We can rest a little," she announced. "Then we train. We are majorly over-powered."

Ami yawned the next morning as she stretched her limbs, sliding out of bed. Strangely, she had suffered no bad dreams the night before. The smell of Makoto's famous pancakes wafted into her room even from downstairs, and she grinned and rushed to the shower, feeling better despite the situation by having a friend there.

After showering and washing up, she slipped on a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, quickly drying off her hair.

As she rounded the corner towards the stairs Ami nearly smacked into Trowa, who was coming from the opposite direction. Stopping herself a moment before and grinning sheepishly, his response was to smirk at her and allow her to walk ahead.

"Sorry," she said, proceeding downstairs at a slower pace.

Trowa seemed to be interested in the laughter coming from the kitchen and followed her, the two stopping in the doorway.

Quatre and Wufei stood laughing, Quatre attempting to hide it and Wufei outright pointing. Duo stood covered in batter, Makoto laughing a bit yet shaking her head.

"Serves you right," she managed through her laughter, Heero unable to hide his smirk from behind her.

"I am going to shower," Duo announced indignantly. "Next time you decide to 'accidently' flick a whisk covered in pancake batter at me, don't!" He couldn't hide his smile at the end of his statement as he pranced out, wishing Ami and Trowa good morning.

"Morning everyone, Mako what happened?" Makoto smiled warmly at Ami, handing the bowl of batter back to the laughing cook as a few giggling maids carried finished plates of pancakes into the dining room.

"He snuck up on me, it was in my hand, enough said," Makoto finished, laughing again and removing the apron she had borrowed and placing it on the counter.

"He probably deserved it anyways," Ami said with a shrug, smiling and following Makoto into the dining room. About ten minutes later Duo arrived, hair wet yet ready to start on his pancakes.

"Thank you Makoto," Quatre said, finishing his plate. "These are probably the best pancakes I have ever eaten."

Duo mumbled agreement as he inhaled his, not stopping to breath.

"All I know is that we owe you for what you did to Maxwell," Wufei said, smirking as Duo glared. Heero nodded in agreement.

"Not a problem," Makoto said.

"So Ami, did you finish that novel I gave you," Quatre asked.

"Yes, it was wonderful. Actually, I started on the one Trowa gave me as well," Ami said, turning to look at him. "I love how the plot is unfolding in that one."

Trowa stared at Ami a moment, before responding.

"Yes, the novel is intriguing from start to finish," he said.

"Which novel is it?" Quatre asked. Trowa told him the title.

"Ah, yes. It is."

"I like how there's a new development every few moments. It seems everything they find is different yet connected. I expect that even the smallest details will play a large role in the end," Ami noted, "I just wish I could figure out how."

"Me too," Trowa and Quatre both said, though they had both read the novel and were instead looking between Makoto and Ami.

Ami knew the conversation had shifted from the novel, and immediately turned back to her breakfast.

Makoto didn't know anything about the novel, but sensed it as well. The other three pilots who had been left out of the conversation exchanged glances.

"So," Duo said, changing the subject. "What are we up to today? Yesterday's museum trip bored me."

"I'm working out in about an hour Maxwell," Wufei said, rolling his eyes. "You'll have to find someone else to play dolls with."

Heero smirked and stood. "I'll join you."

"Perhaps I should as well. I ate a lot of pancakes," Quatre added as an afterthought.

Trowa nodded, and turning to Ami spoke. "The gym space Quatre set up here is good."

Ami nodded. She would have to be in shape for what was coming their way.

"I'm up for it."

"Me too," Makoto said. "I've got a lot of pent up anger. Is there a punching bag?"

Wufei snorted as Quatre was nodding. She turned to glare at him. "What?"

"Onna," he said, "What are you going to do? Slap it to death?"

"I'd rather claw out your eyes, actually," she said, standing to collect her plate but a maid stopped her and took it. "I just don't know if my female finger-nails can handle it."

Wufei crossed his arms and stared at her critically, and Quatre cut in and told Makoto he'd show her around the estate for a few minutes. Her glare died drastically as she smiled at him, and Ami hid her smile behind her napkin and excused herself as well. Makoto hated it when men thought she was weak, maybe more than Rei. She had been kicked out of several schools for fighting that point, after all.

"Fine, fine, fine. Since you all so graciously invited me to join you, I shall," Duo said as everyone began to depart from the table, totally ignoring him.

* * *

Ami stretched in her jogging pants and t-shirt, aiming at doing some cardio. She knew however, that Makoto would probably want to spar to get her in better shape for the coming battles.

Makoto was currently working up all of her pent up anger from the horrible battle before she had arrived on the pre-mentioned punching bag.

The gym area was quite large. Quatre had renovated an old dining hall and added some equipment for himself and the others, knowing that they would probably want to work out the weeks they were here.

No one was really working out as they kept an eye on her. She never seemed to tire, but Wufei would never admit he was impressed. Quatre would, however. She had been going at it a very long time.

Makoto continued her onslaught of the punching bag, seeming to finally tire yet not stop. Ami knew she was angry and had done a very good job in hiding her anger since she had arrived.

Ami approached her and placed her hand on Makoto's arm, seemingly tearing her from a trance. Makoto looked at her sharply, before sighing.

"I think not knowing what's happening is way worse than being there."

Ami nodded. "This won't help." The pilots glanced at each other, wondering what was going on.

Makoto seemed to remind herself of the others and stretched her arms, plastering a smile on her face. Ami recognized it, knowing that she and her friends had used this fake smile too many times.

"Come on," she said, forcing a laugh. "Let's do something else."

Trowa glanced between the two, feeling the strain on both girls from where he stood. He watched as Ami headed for a cross track, one of his favorite cardio machines. Everyone dispersed, beginning to work out.

"Hold it right there Ames." Ami froze in her spot and her shoulders slumped. She had almost made it the machine, she was sure Makoto had forgotten to spar with her.

"I want you in top physical shape," she said approaching Ami and using a quite casual tone as a challenging smile came to her face.

"Mako," Ami groaned. "Pancakes," she reminded.

"This is more useful than burning off pancake calories," Makoto scolded. "Come on."

"What are you two up to," Quatre asked, setting down the weights he had been using. Duo approached as well, setting down his weights and walking over.

"Yes, do tell."

"Well," Makoto said. "It is a well known fact back home that I myself am an expert in martial arts. I love fighting. My good friend Ami here has become pretty decent over the years she has known me, however I see much room for improvement. A woman must know how to defend herself nowadays, and Ami is being lazy." She crossed her arms. "Either that or she's intimidated."

"Mako," Ami said exasperatedly. "I know you won't hurt me, but of course I'm intimidated!"

"You might as well practice with me, you'll be facing much more intimidating stuff soon," Makoto said, raising her tone slightly and impatiently as she tried to be direct without specifying.

"It could be fun," Heero said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. In truth it was perfect, he had to know what the girls could do. Unlike Makoto, Ami looked weak and if she was skilled then that indicated something more to him.

Wufei abandoned what he was doing, a few steps behind Trowa who had approached to see what the commotion was about.

"What's going on here," Wufei asked. Quatre relayed the information to him and he scoffed.

"Don't laugh buddy, or I'll have to challenge you." He smirked.

"I don't hit weak women." Makoto growled, and Ami stepped between them.

"Alright Mako, alright, let's just do this," she said.

Makoto nodded, glaring at Wufei once more and turning to Ami.

"I've gotta see this," Duo said, stepping back to watch and crossing his arms. There was a murmur of agreement as the rest joined him, eyeing all aspects of the fight critically. This could tell them a lot.

Ami and Makoto stepped a few more feet from where they had stood, making a distance of about ten feet from the group.

Makoto took on an offensive stance immediately, and Ami nervously took up a defensive one. She hadn't sparred in so long and had gotten out of shape. After all, there had been peace that was supposed to last for years for only about a year and she had immersed herself with her school work.

"Alright, I hope you remember some of the stuff I taught you," Makoto said. "I'm just gonna charge and you fend me off."

Ami nodded, and without any more time wasted Makoto came running at her. Her hands were raised in front of her face and Makoto took advantage and aimed a kick at her left side. Ami sloppily blocked with her knee and jumped back, but Makoto continued, turning and kicking Ami's feet out from underneath her. Ami groaned.

"I should have seen that, I am out of practice," she said with a frown.

"No worries Ames. You know I love you, but I'm going to be mean to you now. Get up."

Ami nodded.

From the sidelines, Trowa felt his stomach lurch for some unknown reason.

"I hope Makoto takes it easy on her. She's very strong," Quatre commented.

"She will, they're friends," Duo said absent-mindedly.

"Makoto seemed pretty desperate to train with Ami," Heero said. "She'll be tough on her."

Wufei shook his head. "They are just weak onnas. Put them on the battlefield and they will be weeping in a corner within a minute."

Ami stood, and readied herself again. Makoto came charging again, aiming a punch at her head. Ami dodged but Makoto swung her other fist at Ami's stomach, which Ami barely blocked. Makoto then jumped up and aimed a kick straight at Ami's head. Ami threw herself backwards to avoid the kick.

"Pay attention Ames," Makoto warned, aiming again at Ami's head as Ami blocked with her arm, attempting to knee Makoto once she came close enough. Makoto laughed and jumped back.

"Good try," she said, on the offense again as she ran at Ami full speed, aiming a kick at her stomach. Ami blocked, which Makoto expected as she tried to uppercut at Ami's jaw. Ami blocked her hand but left her side exposed as Makoto did a round house kick with incredible force that sent Ami flying a few feet away.

Trowa immediately stepped forwards, Quatre and Duo at his heels but froze when Ami sat up and laughed, getting to her knees.

"No, that was a good one," she said, as Makoto grabbed her hand and helped her stand.

"That's the side she was severely injured in just three days ago. How is she alright," Heero asked, glowering at the two women. The other three stepped back at his words, and Wufei shook his head.

"Maybe it was her other side."

"No Wufei," Duo said reluctantly. "It was that one."

Ami stopped laughing once Makoto helped her up, and the two collaborated a moment before they got in fighting stances again, only this time Makoto on the defensive. Ami took up an offensive stance, smiling at Makoto before getting serious.

"Come on Ames. Show me what you've got," Makoto said. Ami nodded and rushed at Makoto, immediately leaping into the air and aiming a kick at Makoto's head. Makoto was shocked that Ami had chosen this as her first move and leapt back, Ami turning and attempting to punch Makoto in the head, which Makoto blocked.

"Damn," Duo commented. "Ami takes hits like a superhuman and can throw herself into the air on command. I didn't know she had it in her."

"Makoto's quite quick as well, and very strong," Quatre said as he watched.

* * *

Laycaon watched from his quarters. His Queen Andromache was planning a massive attack on Tokyo. She was going to set the youma free to roam downtown in about two hours, but was expecting him to do some damage in the other dimension before joining the battle in this realm.

Noticing where they all were he had a pretty good idea of what he might do, too.

* * *

After everyone had worked out, only about a half hour after Makoto and Ami's fight, they all headed to shower and change.

It was around one still, and everyone soon sat around the library, bored.

"Why are we here again," Duo asked, frowning as he eyed the shelves.

"We are not anywhere. I just wanted to finish my book. You can watch TV if you'd like, Duo," Ami said, turning the page.

"Alone?"

Everyone ignored him. Wufei was meditating in the corner, Heero was at his laptop on a desk nearby, and Ami, Quatre and Trowa were engrossed in the books they were reading.

Makoto herself had found a romance novel and was currently flipping through the first few pages to see if it was any good.

Duo groaned and stood, walking among the large shelves and tracing his hands along the books until something caught his eyes.

Duo froze in his spot, blinking to see if his eyes had deceived him. He could have sworn a pair of black eyes had been watching him from the other side of the bookshelf.

Nothing was there though, and he sighed. He was so bored he was imagining things.

Five or six books suddenly fell to the ground from further down the shelf, and Wufei looked up at the sound, annoyed.

"Maxwell! Cut it out!"

The book shelf began to shake, and Duo gasped. Ami and Makoto were on their feet in an instant, the others not a second behind as the entire shelf suddenly began to tip. Duo gasped and coveredhis head as all the books toppled onto him, the shelf crashing onto the one next to it but not falling.

"Duo!" Quatre and the rest rushed forwards to help duo dig his way out of the heap of books, all of them hard cover and heavy.

"Oww," Duo said, "That'll bruise in the morning."

Ami and Makoto looked around frantically, the sinking feeling in their stomachs telling them exactly what had happened.

"Hello? Anybody home," a voice said from behind Makoto and Ami. The two spun around only to be blown backwards towards the rest of the group, who now all stood facing the youma. It had beady black eyes and a red body, but it seemed to have a specialty which was powerful gusts of wind. Again, it raised its hands and blasted, sending Ami and Makoto flying backwards at the feet of the pilots.

The two were helped up and told to stand back, as the pilots stared critically at the monster that stood before them.

"What is that fugly thing," Duo asked, eyes wide. Makoto and Ami shared a glance from behind the group as Heero, Trowa and Quatre suddenly drew guns and began to fire. The bullets did the youma no harm as it continued to approach, laughing.

"Is that all you have?" It snickered a moment, its eyes searching the group.

"Where's your wand," Ami muttered worriedly.

"My room," Makoto whispered.

"Go get it."

Makoto nodded as Wufei jumped into the fray, readying his katana and frowning at the youma.

Makoto slid out of the room as all eyes were on Wufei, whom she knew would be killed in a few seconds if the youma stopped toying with them.

Wufei leapt forwards and began to slash at the youma. It didn't move as he slashed it several times across his chest.

It stared at him a moment as his eyes widened, before knocking him back. Heero helped Wufei stand, the two backing up a few steps from the youma.

"I only have heard of one sword which could cut me," it said, staring at the group and referring to that of Sailor Uranus.

"Now, I believe you've all been very kind and generous to some people who my master finds quite irritating."

The pilots all exchanged worried glances, and glanced behind them. The monster knew about Ami and Makoto?

Ami boldly stepped forwards, eyeing the youma critically. If she had been transformed, it would have been no problem to take it out- but right now...

Quatre looked around, wondering where Makoto had run off to. Was she afraid?

"Ami, stay back," Duo whispered, Trowa grabbing her wrist to stop her from moving any closer.

"That's a good girl," the youma taunted. "Now come with me and let me finish you and your pathetic friend off and I might not kill the rest of the estate's occupants."

"You won't come near them. Head outside now and I'll gladly follow." Ami pointed out the window, her hand unwavering and hoping to stall.

"Aww," the youma said. "Scout's honor?" A laugh erupted from its throat, and Ami frowned. These monsters were quite intelligent, very much unlike what she was used to fighting.

"I'll tell you what," it said as it approached, "you go first."

Raising its right hand, it flicked its wrist and sent her skidding across the room before she could blink, smacking into a different bookshelf.

Ami cried out and turned. She tried to get up, the youma raising its hand to strike again. More bullets were fired at its back, but Quatre shouted at his friends immediately. "The bullets are doing no good you'll hit Ami!"

The youma turned its attention back to Ami, and she silently cursed when she realized that she still didn't see Sailor Jupiter.

Trowa was at Ami's side in an instant, trying to help her stand up and move.

"Oh no, an innocent bystander," the youma said, indicating with its hand at Trowa. "I believe you know what happens to innocent bystanders."

Ami managed to stand and attempted to push Trowa away from her as the youma raised both its hands, pushing them together and then quickly moving them apart. Ami and Trowa were thrown on opposite sides of the room.

Trowa's back smacked the desk and he knocked it over, toppled over the chair and rolling to a stop.

"I hope that looked more painful than it was," Wufei commented, running to help him up.

Ami was thrown against a wall, smacking into it but not falling to the ground as the youma held her up with its powers, approaching quickly.

"I'm done messing around," it said, raising its hand to strike. Ami kicked and thrashed but the youma held her steady.

Quatre and Heero rushed at the youma from behind attempting to distract it, but didn't get close before a shout was heard.

"Jupiter Thunder Clash!" The two froze in their spots as lightning came out of nowhere and smacked the youma head on, just barely missing Ami. It gasped and dropped her, falling to the ground.

Another similar attack smacked it a second time, electrocuting it and cutting off its scream, leaving ashes.

Jupiter watched for only a moment from where she hid behind a shelf, before de-transforming and rushing out from the opposite side.

"Are you guys alright?"

"Where were you?" She turned to look at Heero, who was glaring fiercely.

"Hiding." Ignoring his stare, she ran and helped Ami up. Ami was for the most part unharmed, and rushed past her to check on Duo and Trowa. Duo was fine, if anything he was just bruised.

"You hit the desk so hard, are you alright?"

Trowa nodded, staring at Ami a moment critically. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know."

"It seemed to know you two," Quatre said, turning to stare at Ami and Makoto.

The two remained silent and he shook his head. "Let's just thank God we're all okay. What stopped it, anyways? I couldn't see."

"Beats me," said Makoto, glancing around.

Wufei shook his head, sitting down on the ground and placing it in his hands. "Have we entered another dimension and failed to notice it this week?"

Ami and Makoto shared a glance, but quickly looked away.

Everyone slowly filed from the room, either angry or confused beyond reason.

"Ames- do you think something might of happened to Setsuna? She said she'd interfere if something like this happened," Makoto whispered.

Ami shook her head. "I have no idea. I just can't think about it right now."

Makoto nodded, exiting the room with Quatre who said they'd all start cleaning up in the library tomorrow. "I think we've been through enough today," he commented.

Ami stood, planning on following everyone from the deserted room but Trowa stood in her path.

"Huh?" She stepped back, frowning at him and blinking. He stepped forwards.

"Seriously," he said, looking more flustered and weary than she had thought. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know."

"Really? It knew you. Also, what did it mean by that innocent bystander thing when I tried to help you up? You pushed me away. Aren't we both innocent bystanders then, if it didn't know you?"

Trowa towered over Ami, staring down at her and not looking away. Ami found herself unable to tear her gaze away as well, staring up into his angry green eyes with a mix of fear and confusion.

Trowa himself didn't know why he was so upset. The others had held their tongues and kept themselves in check for good reason: if Ami and Makoto were pushed too far they would reveal nothing. Now however, more confusing than where they had appeared from was where the monster had come from.

Yet, when she was thrown against the shelf by the monster, he had found himself unable to breath for a moment, and even when she was just fighting Makoto his stomach had been twisted up in knots. Worst of all, he didn't know why. He had only known her a little over four days. It just didn't make sense and that was part of the reason he was upset.

"Yes. I- I just saw that it was about to attack when I pushed you. Trust me I'm as clueless about what happened as you are," she said, keeping eye contact and her tone firm at the end.

He stared at her a moment longer, searching her eyes for any word of a lie, before his shoulders sagged. Trowa had no proof of anything.

Seeing that he was probably just freaked out by the whole idea of the youma, Ami gingerly reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Let's just go relax a bit, calm down," she said.

"You seem pretty calm." His words were more harsh and suspicious than usual.

"I meant you. We could...discuss what I do know about the situation." Ami mentally slapped herself, knowing that she would now have to lie about a few things more than she had intended.

Trowa stared down at her a moment longer. "Let's go for a drive," he said.

"A drive?" She asked tentatively, frowning up at him.

"Yes, anywhere. I want to get out of the house," he said, and Ami couldn't help but agree. She left to tell Makoto she was heading out a few minutes, hurriedly whispering to her what information she was going to disclose in the event that Makoto was asked to explain again once she left.

Heading outside, she trudged through a fresh layer of snow on the walkway and saw that Trowa had started up the car he and his friends had arrived in, a black SUV.

Rushing to open the passenger seat's door, Ami slid in and rubbed her palms together as Trowa blasted the heat.

He pulled out of the driveway very quickly and put the car in drive, stepping on the gas and taking off.

"Where are we heading?" Ami asked, gripping the side of her seat apprehensively at Trowa's speed.

"I don't know, maybe into town. I'm hitting the main road."

Ami nodded, knowing Trowa was taking the longer drive to make sure she talked. She couldn't blame him, had she been in his shoes she would have been freaking out by now.

"So...about that monster. Like I was saying, my knowledge of them is limited. Back where I'm from, people know about them because they attack."

"Why? Where are they from? How come I've never heard of them."

"Well," Ami said. "Most people kind of think anyone who sees them is crazy. Had I not seen them with my own eyes a few times, attacking establishments and large crowds, then I wouldn't believe it."

He remained silent a moment. Trowa was currently not in doubt of the existence of the monster. Doubt was out the window, he had witnessed it with his own eyes. He just knew that nothing that crazy had ever happened before they had found Ami.

He chose his words carefully.

"This is in Tokyo? Do people brush it off as folklore or something?"

She nodded. "Yes, I've never seen one here."

'How did you get here though,' he thought, but said something else.

"This monster tried to kill us."

"I know, I'm shocked at that. You see, usually they just try to drain people's energy or something, not kill."

"Why?"

"They make use of it later, I don't know."

"What defeated it then?"

"I didn't see," Ami said, but continued. "There was something with lightning. It nearly singed me. I've heard a story back in Tokyo about fighters who destroy them, but I don't know much about it." Ami thought about her own lack of detail. If Trowa looked up the name of the Senshi or something and found nothing, as Heero had undoubtedly done with her name, he would be more suspicious.

Trowa nodded at her explanation, feeling less riled up but knowing she was leaving something out. Remembering that he and his friends had agreed to be kind and not interrogate her openly, he changed the subject.

"So you and Makoto seem close. How long have you known her?"

"Mako?" Ami smiled and thought a moment, before responding. "Almost six years now."

"You went to school together?"

"Yes," Ami said. "She's a great friend. How did you say you know the others?"

"We work together," Trowa responded. "We're an odd mix, but it works somehow."

"That's like me and my friends," Ami agreed. "Two of them, Rei and Usagi, are exactly like Wufei and Duo- minus the braid and sword," she added with a laugh.

Trowa found himself smiling, but realized that they had reached the small town they had come to a few days before.

"We could turn around," he said, turning to Ami. "But Quatre mentioned a really nice cafe down the road and I could go for a coffee. Are you up for it? It's on me."

Ami shook her head, smiling. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to pay you all back for everything."

"It's just coffee," Trowa said, parking the car and turning off the engine. He was becoming extremely comfortable around Ami and enjoyed how freely he could speak to her.

"That's not what I meant," Ami began, but he cut her off, opening his door.

"I know. Come on."

Ami slid out of her seat and followed. Trowa waited on her a moment before opening up one of the wood doors and ushering for her to enter.

"Thanks," she said, as they entered and were met with a blast of warm air.

Trowa headed up to the counter and turned to Ami.

"What do you want? I'm getting a cappuccino, Quatre said they were good."

"Um..." she paused, but nodded. "Okay, I'll do the same then."

He ordered and ushered for her to sit. She chose a small booth next to the large windows, enjoying watching the snow fall lightly to the ground.

Trowa slid across from her a minute later, passing her a steaming mug and laughing as she immediately placed her hands above the rising steam.

He sipped his timidly, not wanting to burn himself but nodding in approval. "Quatre was right, they are good."

Ami sampled her own, nodding. "Very good."

A silence passed between them, before Trowa spoke.

"So do you live alone back on Tokyo?"

She shook her head. "No, I live with my mom, actually. She's a doctor, so she has crazy shifts at the hospital. She's very driven. I usually have our apartment to myself."

"Is that what you prefer?"

Ami frowned a moment, not sure why the question bothered her. "Not really...I mean, it's good for studying but I do get lonely. Usually I spend my time at my friend Rei's temple. My other friends and I always hang out there after school for a few hours, so I'm not alone all that much."

"That's good, it's better I think," he said, not knowing what to say as her expression changed.

Ami suddenly realized why the question bothered her. Once she had gone to Usagi's house after school to spend the night and help her study. She had grown incredibly jealouswhen she felt how alive Usagi's house felt compared to her own. She had wondered if Makoto felt the same all through high school and even before. Luckily, Minako had moved out of her parent's house that year and moved in with Makoto, and Rei usually had someone at the temple. She didn't want any of her friends to feel lonely, and of course would never want any of the joy taken from Usagi's family, but still sometimes pitied herself.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she spoke. "Do you all usually live together?"

He shook his head. "We all live somewhat near each other thanks to our jobs, but most of us enjoy our space as well. Plus Wufei would kill Duo if they were together any longer than this vacation."

Ami laughed. "That's true. So...besides your job in law enforcement...do you have any other jobs or hobbies?"

Trowa moved to shake his head, but stopped. "Actually, it's a little known fact that I was once a clown in the circus. It's my true home, actually."

Ami was surprised. She had a difficult time imagining Trowa, with his serious face, dressed as a clown.

* * *

Laycaon cursed. Jupiter had taken out his youma much quicker than he'd hoped.

"The youma are ready," a voice said from behind him. He turned. Andromache stood, hands on her hips.

"I shook them up- made them suspicious, but Jupiter took the youma out quickly."

"That's fine for today, I need you to save your strength should you have to rid us of another pesky scout. We're all ready to attack downtown right now. Move."

* * *

He nodded, following his queen.

Sailor Neptune screamed, running to help Sailor Mars out of the rubble that had fallen on top of her. Queen Andromache's troops had attacked downtown with a vengeance. There were at least ten establishments that were totalled, including the police station. Many people had run, but the youma pursued, simply out to kill.

"World Shaking!"

Sailor Uranus destroyed a few youma behind her and Sailor Mars, who managed to stand. A few feet away, Sailor Saturn had a shield raised above herself and an unconscious Tuxedo Kamen. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus were angrily taking out youma in hordes, trying to stop the massacre of the civilians in vain as more youma spilled from a portal behind Andromache and Laycaon.

"Sailor Moon, we're getting our asses kicked! We need a Planet Attack now!" Sailor Moon looked to Mars, who had limped out of the rubble and was being supported by Neptune.

"It won't take all of them out, and then we'll be too drained to fight," Sailor Uranus pointed out, dodging an attack.

"It'll take out enough of them to make them retreat. Let's do it," Venus said. Sailor Uranus carried Tuxedo Kamen with Saturn away from the battle, and the Senshi linked hands.

"Sailor Planet Attack!" Willing all of their energy into the attack, it crashed head on with the youma emerging behind Andromache and Laycaon, killing many of them.

Andromache looked furious and alarmed, signalling all of the youma to retreat. She, Laycaon and all of their minions disappeared. The Senshi rose from the ground, having fallen to the ground and looked around at the rubble that was the center of downtown.

"The ambulances should be here any minute," Uranus said, her tone angry as she surveyed the damage. "Spread out and search for survivors."

The scouts did that, limping to where they heard shouts or screams to try to help the people out of the rubble.

Half an hour later, several ambulances were picking up people, dead or alive, and rescue workers were helping the Senshi dig people out. Sailor Venus turned from where she had carried a woman to a stretcher and began to walk to the opposite side of the street.

Passing a woman's body, she closed her eyes and crouched down, turning the woman over to check her pulse. Covering her mouth, she held back a scream as she recognized the face of the woman from a picture Ami had shown her. Reaching for her neck, she checked the pulse and confirmed what she had feared.

Standing, she called out to a paramedic, who came running over with a stretcher and a body bag.

* * *

The next morning, Minako walked out of the temple with Rei, stopping at the front steps.

"Thanks for letting me spend the night," she said, her voice hoarse. "I feel a lot better."

"Me too, I'm not even that injured anymore," Rei commented.

"You know that's a lie. You look terrible, and you're still limping," Minako commented, Rei sighing, before continuing. "Did you check the death toll this morning?"

Rei nodded, but said no details. Minako sighed this time.

"I don't know what we're going to tell poor Ames. When did Usagi leave?"

"Mamoru drove her home early this morning," Rei said softly, staring around the peaceful temple.

"Is Hotaru's arm okay? It looked pretty bad yesterday," Rei said suddenly.

"Last I heard, Michiru and Haruka were taking her to the hospital to get it checked out. Do you- do you really think they got Setsuna?"

"I don't know," Rei said. "But something feels very wrong."

"It could be my presence," a voice behind the two said. The two jumped and turned around, gasping when they saw Laycaon standing before them.

"My Queen Andromache was quite sure she knew who you two were. I'll let her know she's a genius," he commented, and before either could react a gate had formed behind them and the two were knocked into it and unsure how it had happened.

* * *

Ami thoroughly enjoyed her breakfast that morning, smiling at everyone at the table and in a great mood after her afternoon with Trowa the day before.

Makoto laughed at something Quatre said, the troubles of the day before temporarily forgotten as everyone enjoyed the sunny morning, watching from the large window how the snow glittered.

A knock was heard at the door, and Penelope and one other maid headed to go answer it.

The group didn't look up until Penelope gasped, and the maid next to her spoke. "Oh my."

Ami stood, fear taking over her body as she had two ideas of what it might be, a youma or one of her friends.

Abandoning breakfast, everyone rushed to the door.

"I know this is probably so odd," Minako's voice floated through the door, and Ami and Makoto pushed ahead of the group and ran to the door. "But my friend and I are very lost and- Ames? Mako?" Minako stopped talking, stepping in the doorway helping a limping Rei.

Penelope and the other maid stepped back, letting the two enter all the way and shutting the door.

"Oh my God!" Minako grabbed Ami in a fierce hug, Makoto grabbing Rei's arm to steady her and grinning when Rei glared at Minako, before also hugging Makoto.

"It's good to know you two are alright," Rei said, as the pilots stepped forwards.

Minako straightened a moment before bowing, Rei doing the same.

"Sorry to intrude on your home," Rei said to them, standing up straight and leaning on Makoto again.

"Not a problem," Quatre said, looking more confused by the minute. "I'm Quatre and these are Heero, Wufei, Duo and Trowa."

Not missing a beat, he turned to Rei. "Does your ankle need medical attention?"

She shook her head. "Thank you, but it's already been taken care of. I've just aggravated it."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again Ami. You and your friends must come from a land filled with beautiful people," Duo said.

Rei rolled her eyes, not at all impressed, which caught Wufei's attention. She met his gaze and he looked away, reminding himself that she was just a stupid onna.

"Um..." Ami felt strained to speak, and tried to find her words. "Are you guys okay? Is everything alright? What happened?"

Minako glanced at Rei and the two looked at Ami. "I think we should sit down," Minako said, fear lining her voice. Ami and Makoto glanced at each other, frowning.

"Please," Quatre said. "Let's take a seat in the living room. You can explain what happened there."

Heero nodded in approval, Trowa surveying the group but he noticed Minako make eye contact with Ami and mutter something along the lines of "do they know?"

Ami shook her head and Trowa frowned, sensing they were not about to learn much. Rei and Minako sat stiffly next to each other on the couch, while the group spread out in various locations. Makoto sat on the loveseat next to Quatre, leaning forwards to pay attention to her friends. Wufei, Duo and Heero sat on various chairs across the room and Ami sat on the ledge of the arm chair Trowa was seated on, the only place left. She peered curiously at Minako and Rei, the look Minako giving her at the door not escaping her.

"Mina," she said, and Minako looked up. "What's going on?"

Minako hesitated. Rei knew Minako wouldn't be able to begin, so she did, trying to be as vague as possible.

"Well, there was another attack downtown."

"A large one," Minako added, unable to keep herself from spilling the details. Rei glanced at her and continued.

"How big was the death toll," Makoto snapped from the couch, knowing they were being reckless speaking in front of their hosts yet feeling the need to know immediately.

Rei hesitated a moment, before speaking.

"423 dead, 154 injured." Rei's voice faded, unable to even say the number without wanting to smack herself. The number was way too big.

The pilots didn't know what the girls were talking about, but they had been through war themselves and knew much more death could be caused than that. However, there had been nothing on the news about any kind of an attack.

The number hung in the air at least a couple of minutes, Minako's head falling into her hands once she heard the exact number.

"A-are you serious," Makoto said, her voice flaring as she stood. "Add those up ladies. 423 plus 63 from the day before. What's going on?" The anger in her voice shook Quatre, whom was next to her and had never heard her yell.

"It wasn't like that Mako! The buildings collapsed before we got there! The youma were out to kill, they cut down everyone who tried to run away!" Rei shouted back, still seated yet temper flaring. One look at Minako's face, which showed Ami that she had attempted to blame herself for all the losses, told her the number was correct.

Her mouth sagged open slightly as the realization hit her. The pilots glanced wildly around the room, trying to keep up.

"There's more Ami," Minako said, her voice cracking. "When we were helping clear people from the rubble yesterday, I found-" Minako couldn't continue. "I just can't say," she explained, shaking her head. Makoto fell back into her seat, afraid of what they were going to say.

Ami's heart began to beat very fast, as Rei's eyes glazed over but she managed to speak.

"Your mom, Ami."

"I wasn't sure at first," Minako said, as Ami's hold on the arm of the couch she was sitting on became dangerously weak. "But I remembered that picture you'd shown me, and-"

Trowa reached out to touch Ami's shoulder, but she didn't move.

Ami stared at Minako a second longer. "Where was she when they attacked?"

"The police station we think," Rei said. "Decla-" Rei was cut off as Ami jumped from her seat suddenly. "Declaring me missing. I wasn't there and she was down there declaring me missing," Ami finished for Rei, leaving the room immediately and heading out the front door. Trowa stood, hesitating a moment before following her. Duo and Heero made eye contact at this, Heero glaring at Duo.

Makoto sank further into the couch, her head dropping to her hands as she pulled at her hair. Quatre reached out to touch her shoulder but hesitated. None of what just happened added up.

Rei watched the front door a moment, before sighing and groaning. Minako's tears were spilling down her face, and Heero was the first to break the silence and speak.

"Where were the attacks?"

"Tokyo," Rei said, glancing up at him. "Didn't you see it on the news?"

"It wasn't on the news," Wufei said with a frown. Rei glanced sharply at Makoto, Minako wiping her tears and looking up.

Makoto shook her head at the two, a grim expression on her face and Rei looked panicked as realization of just how far they were from home finally set in. Minako looked between the two, her tear-stained face also showing a sudden realization.

Where exactly were they?

* * *

Trowa stepped outside, realizing he was not wearing a jacket. The sun had been hidden by some clouds, but luckily it wasn't snowing again.

"Ami?" His voice was taken by the wind, but he didn't see or hear her. The car was still in its spot, so she hadn't driven off...

Trowa walked around the driveway, looking into the street to see if she'd run off, but there weren't any footsteps in the snow. The only place he noticed footprints was where Minako and Rei had clearly fallen. There weren't footsteps leading up to the spot but footsteps moving away from it, towards the front door.

"Ami!" His call was again unanswered.

Trowa began to walk past the SUV. Ami had spoken pretty highly of her mom just the day before, and she must have been blaming herself according to what she said before walking out. He passed around the side of the estate by the garage, peering over the side. It was a long walk to the backyard, had she run back there?

Trowa walked down the long pathway, coming to a stop as he rounded the corner to the backyard.

The estate was on a huge piece of property, and Trowa imagined that in the summer the yard would be lovely. However, it was currently frozen over and pretty much a big field of nothing but snow and dead trees.

"Ami!"

Trowa blinked as he thought he saw blue for a moment.

"Hey!"

Unable to remain hidden any longer, Ami slowly stood from where she was crouched behind a small gate, probably leading to a garden.

Trowa sighed and approached her, crossing his arms to retain some warmth as he stood behind her. She didn't turn to face him, keeping a firm grip on the gate.

Trowa remained silent. He had seen a lot of death in the war, and had been equally responsible for much death as well. Trowa assumed Ami was not quite used to the idea.

"It's selfish, right?" Her words shook him from his thoughts as he approached her shaking body, although he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or how upset she was.

"Selfish?"

"You heard the number. Almost 500 others, and here I am being dramatic because it finally hit home."

Trowa exhaled a breath, seeing it in front of him.

"Ami, were all those people killed from those monsters you told me about?"

"Yes."

"Why hasn't it been on the news yet then? Where did your friends just arrive from, Tokyo?"

"I don't know," she lied, refusing to turn and look at him.

Trowa knew he wouldn't get an answer anyways. "Come inside, it's cold."

"You go," she responded, "I'll follow soon."

He didn't believe that either. "Come on, this won't do you any good," he reasoned, grabbing her arm. She flinched but didn't move away.

"I don't deserve anything but to stay out here," she said, and he frowned.

"It's not your fault."

"Yes," she said, finally turning to face him. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were red and puffy. "I wasn't there, and so it's all my fault that she was downtown to begin with."

"If you think about it like that, it'll drive you crazy forever," he said evenly. Ami's lip quivered slightly and she looked away.

"Please just go inside."

Trowa didn't know why, but he was suddenly compelled to grab her and envelope her in a hug, and wasted no time in doing so.

She stood rigid a moment, before bursting into tears.

"I left so suddenly that I didn't even get to see her, to say good bye before she headed to work in the morning... sorry. Our messed up lives are in no way your problems," she sobbed, clutching back surprisingly. "You should all be enjoying your vacation."

She pulled away and he grabbed her around the shoulders and steered her away from the backyard as she wiped at her tears.

"Don't say sorry. Let's just head inside."

She nodded at him at him mutely, feeling silly at being pitied by him.

They headed around the front and Trowa pushed open the front door and Ami entered, him at her heels.

The two entered the living room silently, Ami hurriedly wiping at her tears. Quatre had asked Makoto to show everyone where they would at least be spending the night. Makoto told Rei to room with her and asked Minako to share with Ami. The pilots sat around the living room and Ami's eyes wandered the room before she spoke.

"Are they upstairs?"

Duo nodded silently and she headed up, Trowa coming to sit beside the rest.

"The two new girls looked shocked that the attack wasn't on the news," Heero commented.

"Yes, Ami wouldn't tell me anything about that," Trowa answered.

"Look, all I see are positives here. We have in last five days had four beautiful women pretty much fall from the sky."

Everyone turned to glare at Duo.

Quatre placed his head in his hands. "This is crazy," he muttered, looking up. "Talk to me about war or politics, throw me in any situation and I can deal with it- but what's happening here? Logic has totally been thrown out the window. I honestly think I may have dreamt the last few days."

Wufei scoffed. "All I see here is a bunch of mental onnas making up things."

"Yeah, and you didn't try to cut up a monster yesterday morning," Duo said from where he was reclined.

Wufei shook his head. "Well, there's that," he admitted.

"Well we have learned a lot the past two days," Heero admitted. "Perhaps all of these women are here because Ami couldn't find the information she needed. I do believe she and her friends were totally responsible for that monster yesterday. Now," he turned to Trowa and Quatre. "Since each of you seems equally engrossed with Ami and Makoto, I guess you should try to get information from them. I can't say I condone any kind of attachment, but they seem to trust you. I think Wufei should try to get closer to Rei and find out what she's hiding, and I will do the same with Minako-" Heero was cut off as Duo leapt to his feet.

"Hold it right there! You assigned each housemate a beautiful woman but me!"

"Maxwell, you know you're very likeable," Heero snapped. "They all will eventually look to you as a friend, and that's why I don't want you tailing only one girl."

"Oh," Duo said, thinking before nodding. 'Fine Hee-man, fine, we'll see who finds out their secrets first. Me- or all of you." Duo pranced from the room, the other four staring after him with a mix of shock and smirks.

* * *

Ami laid on her bed as the other three sat or laid around her, feeling at ease with her friends yet a fear growing in her heart. Setsuna was dead or captured, her mother was dead and she and her friends were here instead of fighting in Tokyo.

"Our world is done for if we don't find a way home," she said softly from where she lay.

Makoto sat up and looked at Minako and Rei.

"Tell me you guys have your wands."

Minako and Rei both frowned and searched. Minako pulled hers out triumphantly, but Rei shook her head no.

"Shit," Makoto said. "Rei, Ami's is gone too. Did Laycaon attack the two of you when he shoved you through the gate?"

They nodded.

"Yes," Minako said. "Rei's injuries were worse, maybe that's why he went after her."

"So they have two of hour powers away from us on top of everything else," Makoto said, frustration evident in her voice.

Ami turned over and buried her head in her pillow. She couldn't stand to hear any of it.

* * *

Okay, so you know what to do! Review! 


	6. Mishaps and Mayhem

Thanks for your reviews, I tried to get this one out quicker!

Chapter 6

Minako grinned at Heero and Duo as she inhaled her dinner. The two were staring at her with a mix of surprise and smirks.

"Geez Mina, way to be a pig. Is Usagi rubbing off on you?" Rei questioned from next to her. Wufei smirked and turned back to his food.

"We haven't eaten all day! I myself have been both emotionally and physically drained the last 48 hours, so I have every right to eat like a pig," Minako said indignantly, although her pace did slow a bit.

Makoto smiled warmly at Rei and Minako, and turned to glance at Ami, whom was pushing her food around her plate. 

Minako and Rei had spent the afternoon acquainting themselves with their housemates and lying about volunteering to help the rescue workers with the bodies since Minako had blurted out that she had found Ami's mom. Makoto knew it had probably been good to take their minds off the terrible situation since there was nothing they could currently do. 

She herself had given Ami some space after the morning's news, playing peacemaker when Rei and Wufei argued and hanging out with Quatre and Trowa.

About five minutes before dinner, Minako, Rei and her had attempted to coax Ami out of her room. When she had continued to insist she wasn't hungry, Makoto had retrieved Quatre, Duo, and Trowa to try and guilt her into coming down. 

When Quatre and Duo had come out of the room without Trowa, they had explained that he was trying to reason with Ami since he had done it outside earlier and that they might as well sit. Not ten minutes after that, Ami and Trowa were downstairs. Ami had washed her face, nodded curtly at everyone and sat, Trowa wordlessly taking a seat across from her. 

Makoto had whispered to him, asking him how he got her to come down. His response was that he had told her he wouldn't eat if she didn't come down, and that he was quite hungry. 

Makoto stopped letting her thoughts wander, glancing back down at Ami who was no longer pushing around her food but was instead just sitting there staring down at her lap. 

"Aren't you hungry Ames?"

She glanced up, but shook her head. "I can't eat."

Makoto nodded, glancing at Minako and Rei, who both shook their heads slightly at her, almost indicating that she back off. 

Ami looked between them before glancing guiltily at her hands. Makoto had lost both her parents, and Rei's mother had died and her father wasn't in her life. Yet here she was, pitying herself and having everyone going crazy just so she would eat her dinner. 

Plus, she had not even been forced to be there when the awful fighting had started. Laycaon had knocked her through the gate and into the lap of luxury while the rest of her friends suffered. On top of all that, she was inconveniencing Quatre and his friends and invading their privacy. With the bad news that had come today, they were pretty much forced to stay in the house with Ami, whom was depressed and not up for having any fun. 

She wanted to shake her head at her own behavior. While in the house, she should try to be cheerful and friendly. There would be time to mourn later, however now her only goal was to keep up appearances for her gracious hosts (who were suspicious enough already) and try to find a way home.

Glancing back down at her plate, Ami slowly began to eat a few bites of her meal, noticing as all eyes shifted in her direction. Rei guessed that Ami was only eating for the benefit of everyone around her, and she knew the others felt the same but kept quiet. After a couple of minutes, conversation started up again and Ami relaxed. 

* * *

Later on that night, Ami sat at the foot of her bed, already in her nightgown. The bed was a king sized mattress, and she and Minako could both sleep comfortably on it. Minako was brushing out her hair, and Rei and Makoto were in their room downstairs. Ami suspected that everyone in the house was already asleep.

Something had been bothering Ami, and she felt compelled to ask.

"Mina, were you...I mean...did you see my mom get killed?"

Minako froze at the question, before setting down the brush and turning to look at Ami.

"I didn't see it happen Ames," she said slowly. "I only found her body afterwards."

Ami nodded, and Minako frowned. "Are you curious about who killed her? I'm sure it was a youma. Laycaon and Andromache kept minimal involvement." Minako gave Ami a sympathetic smile, before turning back around to put the brush away. She again stopped what she was doing and spun around to face Ami, standing and approaching.

"Ames, death is a really tough thing to deal with." 

Ami frowned at her. "What are you getting at?"

"Well," Minako said, taking a seat next to Ami. "No one expects you to act happy."

"Don't worry Mina," Ami said immediately. "I just don't want to be a downer. We're in this strange place, intruding on people who were strangers until I was sent here and I don't think my problems should be made theirs. Anyways, we have other things to focus on, like getting home or-"

"Or revenge?" Minako cut in, and Ami looked away. "You're probably one of the kindest people I know. Are we going to defeat what we're up against? Yes, but the Ami I know would motivate herself for the good of all, not just be driven by hate. Hate clouds all judgement and reason, and I wouldn't want to see that happen to you. We're gonna get through all of this, taking it day by day Ames."

Ami smiled at Minako, wiping a tear that had made its way down her cheek. "You're right of course. I have to stay calm to deal with the problems we're facing, especially now that Rei and I are powerless and Laycaon can basically do as he pleases."

Minako hugged Ami. "True. We'll have to figure all of that out as well. For now though, I'm beat. Let's just get to bed."

Trowa and Heero glanced at each other from where they hid by the wall next to Ami and Minako's room. They had heard many things. Ami had mentioned she and Rei were powerless. Why them and not the other two? Also, the name Laycaon had come up twice, and Andromache had also been mentioned. Minako had discussed defeating what they were up against. That could mean anything or anyone, including the pilots. 

Wordlessly, the two headed off to bed, knowing they would discuss everything in the morning. 

* * *

Early the next morning, the pilots met in the library. 

The information they had gathered the day before was useful, and Heero seemed more suspicious than ever. 

"Stick with the plan and be nice," he warned, "but watch them like hawks."

The five headed downstairs, passing by the second floor and noticing that Minako and Ami were out of bed. No one was in the kitchen, and Makoto and Rei's room was empty. 

"That's odd," Quatre commented, as the five glanced at each other. 

"Penelope," Duo said, gaining the attention of the maid as she passed by him. 

"Good morning, what can I do for you?"

"Morning to you as well. Tell me, have you seen any of our house guests?"

"Ah," she said, smiling. "Yes, actually Ami and her friends are working out in the gym this morning."

She headed off with the other maid, Mary, to begin tidying up the kitchen. 

"Working out," Trowa repeated after she left, the five turning and heading towards the gym on the opposite side of the estate. 

When they arrived, no one entered right away. They stood silently watching and listening outside the doors, hoping perhaps that the girls were having a meeting of some sort. They had no such luck.

In fact, the four girls were sparring much like Makoto and Ami had done two days earlier. 

Minako and Makoto were fighting nearer to the door, and were by no means taking it easy on each other as they delivered some pretty nasty looking blows. Both were moving very quickly, as they were incredibly agile. At that moment, Makoto delivered a kick across Minako's jaw that sent her flying a few feet away and landing pretty hard as well. Duo gasped. Even Heero winced when he saw that. 

Minako surprisingly stood immediately, chuckling as she gripped her jaw a moment and leapt back into the fight. Makoto had stopped momentarily, perhaps fearing that she had seriously hurt Minako's jaw. At her hesitation, Minako was in front of Makoto in an instant, punching her in the stomach with all her might. Makoto crumpled to the ground and grabbed her stomach, and Minako bent down to check on her, laughing. 

Quatre gasped. "She's knocked the air right out of her!" Duo stared open-mouthed and simply pointed forwards. 

"You got me pretty good back there. Why'd you stop?" Minako asked, her smile not faltering. 

"I shouldn't have," Makoto said, accepting Minako's hand. "No enemy of ours would take it easy on you, especially since you're currently powerless. We might as well be just as rough training."

Meanwhile, Rei and Ami were fighting on the opposite side of the room. Rei, whose ankle had seemed incredibly inured the day before was moving around Ami quick as lightning, bouncing from foot to foot like she had never broken a thing in her life. The two were as brutal to each other as Minako and Makoto. Ami seemed to be much more encouraged than two days before, attacking Rei as if her life depended on it. Rei was equally vicious, and she grabbed Ami's arm and flipped her over her back, silencing her scream and throwing her roughly to the ground. 

Trowa's eyes widened and he stepped forwards. That had probably really hurt Ami, perhaps even broken something with the force Rei had just used. Wufei nodded to himself, somewhat impressed although frowning at how fine her ankle seemed to be.

"That was thanks to Mako. Now get up, no enemy will wait for you to recover, you'd probably be dead by now," Rei said to Ami smugly, gasping as Ami leapt to her feet in an instant. She turned around faster than she had thought and kicked her across her side with all of her might, knocking Rei a couple of feet away. 

"That was thanks to Mako as well," Ami replied in the same tone Rei had used, "since she just did it to me two days ago."

"I'm beat," Minako called from the opposite end of the room and the two glanced up. "Plus, we've got an audience." 

The four girls gathered in the middle and approached the doors, where the pilots had begun to enter from. All four of them seemed pretty roughed up, yet they were smiling all the same. 

"Ladies, ladies, I thought we were all friends here. I've never seen anyone be that rough on a good friend when sparring," Duo said, entering the doors. 

"Morning Duo," Ami said with a grin. "Morning," she repeated to the rest of the guys who entered the gym. "You're all up early today."

"Same could be said for you," Trowa said nonchalantly, his eyes wandering the room. 

"Well we wanted too work out before breakfast," Ami explained, her smile never fading. 

"You're all in better moods today," Quatre commented. He received four nods. 

"It is a beautiful day," Minako said, indicating at the sun shining through the windows. "Wouldn't you agree, Heero?" 

He simply nodded, watching her critically before attempting a smile. "How's your jaw?"

"Fine," she replied, hoping he hadn't seen just how hard Makoto had kicked her. Even if she bruised, it would be gone by morning and then she would have to explain the disappearance of said bruise. 

"Onna, I thought your ankle was hurt," Wufei commented to Rei, who frowned. "First of all, my name is Rei, for the millionth time. Secondly, it was a lot better this morning."

"Seriously though," Duo said, glancing at Ami from where he stood next to Trowa. "It looked like you guys were gonna pummel each other to the ground."

"No," Ami said, shaking her head. "Had anyone seriously been injured, we would have stopped."

"Hello people, are we going to stand here all day? I need a shower and then my stomach will be begging for breakfast," Makoto interjected, pushing through the group. "Come on!"

Rei followed, and Minako and Ami eventually did as well. 

The pilots followed after them, Quatre sighing and saying he was going to ask the chef about breakfast.

* * *

Andromache sat at her throne, Laycaon bowing low beneath her. 

"The troops are recuperating. That 'Sailor Planet' attack took out far too many of them," she snapped.

"My Queen, if I may speak?"

She nodded curtly. 

"Now that I have sent away Mars and Venus, the Senshi in this realm have been weakened greatly."

"Yes," she said. "Weakened, not killed. The other Senshi are thriving in the other dimension."

"I have already taken Mercury and Mars' transformations."

"And yet the other two Senshi have their wands. Our progress is too slow. If you at least killed one of the four Senshi in the other dimension, you could harm them. Right now, they are stalling for time as much as we are."

"I understand, my Queen."

"I have also noticed that even after I gave you your power upgrade, you only sent one youma to the other realm and totally abandoned my plan on torturing them with those dreams we had planned."

"Forgive me, my Queen."

"I am not upset at those mistakes, not so much as I am angered that you have yet to take advantage of our enemy's weakness. For example, the Mercury Senshi was angered and distraught because our youma killed her mother. She is lacking her powers, so this would be the time to attack. The morale is low, do you understand? If you can't kill her, try to kill Mars, she is also powerless. You must learn to benefit from their losses."

Laycaon nodded. "You're right as always, my Queen. I apologize."

She nodded. "Go, I want results by the end of the day."

* * *

"Breakfast is all ready. Where's Trowa?" Quatre asked, glancing around the table. Duo was about to dig in but stopped. 

"I think he's in his room. Why don't you go tell him breakfast is ready Ami?" Duo asked this sweetly, and Ami frowned. 

"Me? Didn't he decide to shower after us? You go."

"Nah, he's done showering," Duo said flippantly. "If I know Trowa he probably just decided to read before breakfast and lost track of time."

Ami nodded. He had gone after her several times the last few days. 

She stood and headed upstairs, rounding the corner to Trowa's room. She didn't hear the water on, and the door was open, so he must have been reading like Duo said. 

"Trowa," she called lightly, approaching the door. 

She froze in the doorway. Trowa had actually been approaching the door when she had called, coming to shut it. 

He had a towel wrapped around his waist, gripping it with his hand, and there was some steam clouding the mirror of his bathroom, indicating he had just gotten out of the shower. 

"Ami?" he said her name curiously, a smirk beginning to play on his features as he noticed her becoming flustered very quickly. 

She flushed furiously, at eye level with his chest and averting her gaze, praying his dangerously loose grip on his towel did not fail him to spare her further embarrassment. 

"S-sorry," she stuttered. "I didn't know you were showering. Breakfast is ready, that's all," she said, turning and heading down the hall quick as lightning. 

Trowa stared after her a moment, his smirk never fading, before shutting the door. 

Ami tried to control her temper, thinking of the many ways she could kill Duo. He knew she was shy, it was intentional!

She headed downstairs, sitting stiffly in her chair and beginning to munch on her breakfast. Everyone stared at her curiously before turning back to their food. 

"Ami," Duo said in a sing-song voice. "Why are your cheeks red?"

Again, everyone looked up. Minako, whom was seated next to her, eyed her curiously. Ami picked up a croissant from the bread basket and chucked it at Duo's face.

"Hey," he defended, catching it as Ami sat steaming in her seat. "How was I supposed to know?"

"If you didn't know, how come you know exactly why I'm mad," she retorted, causing Duo to laugh. 

"You're too smart, Ami," he said, as Trowa came downstairs, smirking as Ami avoided his eyes. He glared at Duo though, having heard some of what was said from the stairs as he came down.

The rest of the table was quiet, trying to figure out what was happening. 

"Well, I'm done eating," Duo announced. He stood, leaving his plate at the table. Ami finally made eye contact with Trowa, who simply smiled at her as Duo passed by him, nonchalantly sticking his leg out and tripping him before he could make it to the kitchen.

* * *

At around 7:00 that night, Rei sat in front of the fireplace in the library. She had started up a fire and was currently meditating in front of it, trying to learn anything about the enemy or a way to get home. 

"Earth, fire, air, water," she chanted, changing her fingers with each word and continuing to repeat it. 

Wufei watched from behind a bookshelf, wondering what she was trying to do. He had seen a Shinto priestess try to read fire before, but this was different and Rei didn't seem like a priestess. 

Meanwhile, a long game of Texan Hold 'em was taking place in the kitchen. Makoto tapped her fingers on the table, pausing a moment before picking up a couple of chips and tossing them into the pot. There was no way to tell whether Heero was bluffing or not, he had the perfect poker face. 

"I see you and raise you fifty," she told Heero. Duo groaned. Quatre and Minako had folded after the first three cards were laid out, having nothing. 

"You're bluffing," Duo said, staring at her with a scrutinizing gaze. 

"Maybe, maybe not," she said, watching him with interest. 

Quatre and Minako glanced at each other, eager to see the last card be placed on the table. Duo threw in his chips, and after a moment Heero did the same. 

"Come on, come on," Duo said, crossing his fingers as Quatre opened up the last card, an ace. A smirk lit up Duo's features, but he simply shrugged. 

Makoto eyed him warily, before speaking. "Check."

"I check as well," Duo said, and Heero nodded. "Me too."

"Alright," Quatre said. "Open up." 

The three laid out their cards, and a triumphant grin covered Duo's face. 

"I've got a straight, see?" Everyone stared at Makoto's cards. 

"No you don't, Mako you liar! I knew you were bluffing," Minako wailed, having folded too early when she had better cards. 

Heero did have a straight, however Duo had him beat. 

"I have a full house," he announced proudly. "Three jacks, two tens!"

Greedily, Duo began to gather the pot in front of him, not taking too much pity on Minako as she begged him to lend her some chips.

* * *

Ami and Trowa sat across from each other on the floor next to the Christmas tree. Trowa had turned on the tree's lights and kept the living room lights off, and it had indeed relaxed Ami as she watched the lights go around the tree, making the ornaments glisten. 

The entire day, despite how she tried to keep herself busy, her mother had not strayed far from her thoughts. It was hard to avoid thinking about her and also more difficult when she thought of how Christmas was her mother's favorite holiday. 

The two were currently quietly discussing their future occupations, having somehow drifted onto the topic. Ami sat up straighter and leaned forwards, resting her chin on her hands and straining to hear him. She didn't know why they were both talking so quietly, but dared not disrupt the peace that had filled the room.

"I don't know," Trowa was saying as he watched Ami carefully. "I think I'll be working in law enforcement the rest of my life. It's a good job. I love the circus, it was once my only true home. I just cannot do it as a career anymore."

Ami nodded, glancing up at the tree and back at Trowa. "Well, it's good that you enjoy what you do. I don't know if I could ever work in law enforcement though."

"Well, what are your plans?" He couldn't help but watch Ami closely when she spoke. She was so lovely and pretty much demanded his attention, whether she knew it or not. He also wondered if she knew that he didnt usually talk like this with people he hadnt known a very long time.

"I don't know exactly. I want to be a doctor, but I'm debating whether I want to work in a clinic or in the emergency room like my mom did." She paused, not having meant to bring her up, but continued. "I've always had a lot of respect for people who worked in hospitals, but it seems so strenuous. It takes over your life, you know?" 

He nodded. "It does, especially emergency room work. You'd always be on call. Still though, I think everybody brings some excess baggage from their job home with them. It's just natural."

A knock at the door shook the two from their thoughts. At first Trowa did not get up, before he remembered that Quatre had given the employees the night off to go into town and relax. 

He stood, Ami at his heels. They could hear the sound of the poker game from the kitchen and much laughter, and Ami wasn't too sure where Rei or Wufei were as she followed Trowa to the door. Trowa switched on the porch light and opened the door a moment, before smiling slightly and pushing it open all the way for Ami to see. 

Some carollers were standing on the porch, a mix of adults and children with smiles and rosy cheeks. 

"Christmas is a week away, I'd thought it was longer," Trowa said, and Ami smiled as they began to sing. He turned on the hall light, and the carollers stepped in the large hall and out of the cold. Ami shut the door and turned to listen.

"_Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, throw cares away! Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, to young and old, meek and the bold..."_

"Stay here one minute, I'm going to go see if Quatre has any treats for them," Trowa said, his mood always uplifted when he was hanging out with Ami. 

The carollers continued to sing, and Ami's smile never faded as they were singing one of her favorite songs. 

Ami looked at each one of them, from the smallest child to the oldest, all smiling from ear to ear. She suddenly had a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach, but couldnt explain it. 

* * *

Rei gasped and fell back from the fire as it burst into huge flames, before burning down to ashes in an instant. 

Wufei ran out from where he had hid, pretending as if he was coming from the door. 

"Rei!" She stumbled to her feet, sweat pouring down her forehead as she rushed past him. He grabbed her arms, searching her worried eyes for any indication of what had just happened. 

"What's wrong with you?"

She pulled free. "Something is very wrong! Are you coming or what?"

* * *

The rest of the gang abandoned their poker game, Quatre coming into the room with some candy canes as treats for the carollers at Trowa's heel. 

"Aww, so cute," Minako gushed, she and Makoto smiling at a rosy cheeked little blonde girl who reminded them of Usagi. 

"Where's Ami," Trowa asked, his eyes whipping around the hall. 

"Maybe she went to go find Rei and Wufei so they could see too," Duo suggested, as they continued to sing. 

"_Ding dong, ding dong! That is their song! With joyful ring! All carolling! One seems to hear, words of good cheer, from everywhere, filling the air! Merry merry merry merry Christmas! Merry merry merry merry Christmas! On, on they send..."_

Trowa looked at the stairs, paying the carollers no mind, to where Rei and Wufei had come rushing down, without Ami. Rei looked panicked and Wufei seemed confused as he looked from Rei to Trowa, who suddenly started to feel afraid as well. 

Trowa's eyes looked at all possible rooms Ami may have entered from the hall where he would have seen her. All were empty. Rei came down from the stairs, nudging Minako and Makoto, but they stared at the carollers alone. 

"Hey," she said, and Minako pushed her away. 

"What?" Rei, Wufei and Trowa stared at their friends, who looked at the carollers alone, almost...entranced by them. 

Wufei stepped next to Duo and smacked him across the cheek, but Duo just shoved him away and continued to stare. 

The three looked at each other. Were their friends truly entranced by the carollers? What were they? Rei had a sinking feeling. Minako and Makoto were the only ones who could transform, and they were currently not in the right state of mind. Where was Ami?

"I'm going to look for Ami, you two try and do something here before something bad happens," Trowa said, his eyes darting around the hall before he eyed the front door and ran out.

"Cover your ears Wufei," Rei said. 

"_Ding, dong, ding, dong, ding, dong, ding, dong!" _The caroller's song had become almost maniacal now, and Rei gasped, pausing from where she was shaking her friends again and Wufei doing the same. The carollers were jerking around at each word they sang, huddled in a group looking more demented by the minute. They reached their hands out at Rei and Wufei, still singing yet trying to grab the ones who were disrupting them.

* * *

Trowa ran out the front door, immediately noticing that there was an outline as if someone had been dragged through the snow, cutting through the footprints of the carollers.

He followed the trail, which lead through the front lawn and around the side of the house, the opposite side of where he had followed Ami the day before. 

It was dark, and Trowa tried to make out if he was following the right path when he heard a scream. Several feet away, Ami was being unceremoniously dragged through the snow. Trowa noticed some blood mixed in with the snow, and wondered if it was Ami's or her attacker. 

He drew his gun and crept along the wall of the house. Ami was thrashing around, and when the man reached down to pull her to her feet she kicked him in the face with all the might she could muster. 

The man growled and threw Ami against the wall, right near Trowa. She began to sit up, attempting to crawl away but noticed Trowa. He placed his finger against his lips as a sign for her to be quiet. She nodded, only hoping to buy time for her friends to come outside, not knowing that the situation with the carolers had changed. Laycaon had leapt at her from in between the carollers almost as soon as Trowa had walked away, and had been quick to silence her with a blow to the head as he dragged her out the front. 

Laycaon raised his hands to attack Ami, gathering enough energy to finish her off quickly. 

Before he could do anything more, Trowa stood and began to fire at Laycaon several times. Bullets pierced his skin all over, from his head to his feet, but seemed to have no effect on him. 

Trowa quickly realized he wasn't dealing with any normal man and scooped Ami up in his arms, making a quick dash for the backyard and trying to hide. 

* * *

Rei and Wufei looked at each other and chose the only plan of action that they knew, leaping into the crowd of demon carollers and beginning to punch and kick at random. The carollers dispersed and their song ended abruptly, shaking the rest of their friends from the trance as all hell broke loose inside the estate. 

Minako and Makoto screamed as the carollers fully changed shapes, becoming a group of about six youma. 

Heero and Quatre began to shoot at the youma, if not harming them then at least detaining them. Rei snuck over to the lights and switched them off, signalling for Minako and Makoto to go transform with the present opportunity. She stood amongst the pilots, knowing it was too dark to see if Minako and Makoto were in the room or not. The youma approached their group blindly, hands waving in front of them as if they were zombies from some weird movie. 

Rei frowned. These youma weren't very powerful at all. She and the guys continued to back up, however she had the feeling that these youma would be easy to defeat, their only true talent hypnotizing them with their voices.

"Venus Crescent Beam, Smash!" Apparently Venus realized these youma were weak too, as she had used one of her oldest and simplest attacks. It tore trough one of them, completely obliterating it. 

"Jupiter Thunder Clap, Zap!" Jupiter's attack came next out of nowhere, and Rei could make out Jupiter a few feet away, her antenna out from her tiara and radiating electricity. The pilots looked around the 

room, having only glimpsed the scouts when they used their powers. There were still four youma left though. 

"Venus, let's take them out together!"

"Right!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The two combined attacks smashed into the youma with a great force, destroying them within seconds. 

Venus and Jupiter hid, de-transforming, and crept back to the group. 

"What just happened," Minako whispered to Heero. He turned to look at her. "I don't know, let me get the lights." Heero did as promised, standing and switching on the lights. 

The group stood huddled near the living room, having backed away from the hall.

"Is everyone okay," Rei asked.

"Me and Mina are fine Rei, Quatre are you good?" At Makoto's words, Quatre shook himself from his troubled thoughts. 

"I'm fine."

"How did you know what was happening Rei?" Rei looked at Wufei but ignored him. 

"We should make that a movie," Duo said, getting to his feet. "I'd pay big bucks to watch that."

"Where are Ami and Trowa?" All looked to Heero, who was still standing by the lights.

"Oh," Rei leapt to her feet. "He went looking for her when you guys were in that trance."

"I don't even remember which direction he headed," Wufei said, seemingly frustrated. 

"Let's search the house then," Quatre said as the group decided, two or three people taking a floor of the house.

* * *

Trowa was crouched behind some thick bushes in the estate's large backyard. He held Ami in his arms, and she was currently silent, her eyes darting around in every direction as she searched for her attacker. 

Trowa had been quick to realize that the blood was coming from Ami's right leg, which had a very deep gash on it. Her forehead was cut and some blood leaked down the side of her face. He assumed that this injury was from when the strange man had first grabbed Ami, but he wasn't sure. 

They heard the sound of a twig crack a little to their right in front of the hedge they were behind. 

Ami reached a shaking hand to her mouth, almost afraid to breath too loud. She was seeing some white spots in her vision, a clear sign of a minor concussion but was currently more afraid for Trowa. True, he had saved her- but once Laycaon found them they were both dead. 

She glanced up at Trowa's face. He looked ready to move at any second necessary, his eyes scanning the hedge above them for any opportunity. He had been crouched down while carrying her a very long time, and she wondered if she was seriously wearing him out. 

The steps came closer, and from where they were crouched Laycaon stood right above them. The two of them almost stopped breathing. Ami could make out his unruly blonde hair and could almost have seen his green eyes searching the backyard had it not been so dark. 

Suddenly, Laycaon looked down at them, raising his hand and blasting the hedge with a huge flame. Trowa was on his feet in an instant, leaping from the area and making a run for it before Ami could blink. 

There was a giant fountain in the garden that had only a bit of snow in it, and Trowa ducked inside, hugging Ami close to himself and leaning his back against the center, trying to conceal them as much as possible from the man. 

Trowa was having a battle in his own mind. Who was the superhuman after them? First of all, Trowa was an expert at killing people- not monsters. Secondly, he would normally have assumed that bullets could take out just about anything. This was an unusual predicament for him, because he could only run and avoid the problem, and not face it head on as he normally would have.

Ami could barely breathe. Not only was the lack of blood starting to take its toll on her with the concussion, but she was enjoying Trowa holding her a little too much for the seriousness of the situation. She mentally slapped herself. 'Focus Ami! He could die right now!' 

Trowa felt Ami shift slightly and figured she must be in a lot of pain. He glanced down at her to see that she was staring right back, looking worried. He felt his breath get caught in his throat for a moment as he stared at her, and he didn't know the reason. Looking away, he took a chance and glanced over the fountain slightly. He couldn't see the man anywhere. 

"Even though you can't see me, I can clearly see you. Let me tell you, I have wasted much of my own precious time tracking you down back here, and I tire of this game of cat and mouse quickly." Laycaon was floating above them, and if possible Trowa and Ami shrank further back against the fountain. 

'He can fly,' Trowa thought with shock, before realizing that after everything he'd seen this shock should be no problem. 

"Now, I will let you go; just stop being a pest and let me finish off the girl. Perhaps my great Queen Andromache will let your pathetic planet survive thanks to your compliance."

"Perhaps we will let you survive, Laycaon," a voice said from next to them. Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter stood next to each other, arms crossed and looking pissed. The two had figured out what was happening and snuck away from the house, since everyone was still searching inside and would not notice them missing. 

Trowa frowned. Who were these crazy women? Had one of them called him Laycaon? He and Heero had heard Minako and Ami use the name the night before, and Laycaon had mentioned Andromache. 

"You're quite mistaken Senshi," Laycaon said, landing on the ground and staring at them. "My master wanted you all dead. It was her unlucky day that she was power-less, however I would be more than happy to finish you two off as well."

That said, Laycaon leapt into the air and began throwing several small balls of flames at the two scouts, who quickly dodged and tried to form a plan. 

Trowa took this opportunity to get out of the fountain and make a run for the back door leading to the kitchen. 

"Venus Love Chain, encircle!" Laycaon laughed until Venus' chain had him held in place. 

"What?"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" 

He growled as Jupiter's attack actually did him some harm. 

"Venus Love and Beauty SHOCK!" The second immediate attack sent him to his knees. 

"This is not possible! How are your measly attacks hurting me!"

Laycaon let out a scream of rage, before leaping into the air, creating a gate and disappearing. Venus and Jupiter chose that moment to disappear, running in from the front and towards the kitchen now un-transformed. Trowa was sliding open the back door, shocking Heero whom had just been passing through the kitchen in their search. 

He ran up to them, Minako suddenly at his heels as Makoto called out to everyone else. 

Trowa entered the kitchen, shutting the screen door and placing his hands above his eyes as Wufei and Rei entered the kitchen, turning on the lights. 

"What happened," Duo asked, running into the kitchen. 

"While we were distracted with those demon carolers she was attacked," Trowa said, setting a very alert Ami down on the kitchen table.

"Demon carolers?" She was sitting up and grabbed at her leg, holding her jeans tightly around her mid-calf and wincing. Trowa was away one minute, grabbing a wet cloth and some medical cloths and tape from the first-aid kit Quatre grabbed. No one answered her question. 

"Are you dizzy? Seeing white-spots? Nauseas?" Ami glanced over at Quatre. 

"Yes, yes, and slightly," she said in order of what he had asked. "If it's a concussion it's probably just a minor one. I'll just take some Tylenol." Quatre blinked at her. 

"It's definitely a minor one," he said with a laugh, Duo joining in. Despite everything, Ami couldn't help but smile. 

Trowa did not laugh, and instead focused on wrapping her leg up, seemingly too concerned to laugh. 

Heero stood next to Minako, who also seemed quite unhappy, barely managing a smile in Duo's direction when he glanced at her. Makoto was standing behind Quatre, whom had backed up, also looking quite miserable. 

Wufei glanced next to him at Rei, and her expression was unreadable but she was breathing heavily. 

"Are you okay?"

She glanced at him, seeming shocked but nodded. 

Trowa finished cleaning off and wrapping up Ami's leg. 

"That looks pretty bad," he said with a frown. 

"It'll look way better tomorrow," she promised, not knowing what to say but not at all lying with her statement.

Quatre glanced at Trowa, sensing he was upset. 

"Who wants to help clean up the hall and living room now?" He said it brightly, but everyone knew he wasn't joking since he had given the employees the night off. 

"You okay Ames?" She glanced up at Rei, whom was heading to go help but seemed quite perturbed. 

"Yes," she replied. "I'm fine." She offered a smile at Rei, who exhaled and gave a small smile back, heading to go help. 

She was left alone with Trowa, whom was now dabbing at the cut on her forehead with a new wet cloth. 

"I can take care of that one Trowa," she offered. 

"It's fine," he said, holding her chin with one hand as he cleaned off the cut with the other. Ami flinched when he touched it, and he stopped, before trying again and attempting to be gentler.

The two were silent. Ami sat on the table feeling slightly out of place as Trowa finished cleaning the cut and patched it up. 

"Who was that man?"

His question threw Ami off. Trowa finished bandaging her cut and turned to face her, placing his hands on the table around where she sat and waiting for an answer- but basically trapping her from getting up. 

She leaned back slightly, staring back at him but not responding. 

"He came after you guys, took you and distracted all of us with the monster carollers. Then he talked about a Queen and destroying the world. After that, two strange women wearing mini-skirts in the dead of winter used magic to make him go away. Those women knew who he was, and you know who he is too."

"Well," she said slowly, "I know he leads the monsters, but that is the first time I've seen him get involved himself."

Trowa stared at her a moment. "And you know nothing else?"

She shook her head. 

Trowa sighed loudly, angrier than she'd ever seen him, and began packing up the first aid kit. Ami tried to alleviate the situation. 

"I do know that I owe you my life."

Trowa stopped what he was doing and glanced down at her. Before Ami could blink he had enveloped her in a crushing hug. 

"We could have been killed now," he muttered. Ami was shocked, but responded quietly. "I know."

"I can't find any logic in anything that has happened the last week," he said. Ami hugged back, unsure of why Trowa was more upset now than he had been when the two had left after the first youma attack yet knowing nothing made sense. 

"Trowa, why are you upse-"

Trowa didn't let Ami finish speaking, and cut in, muttering "I left you with them at the door."

Ami's eyes widened slightly as it all made sense. He blamed himself for leaving her with them at the door alone.

* * *

In the next room, everyone was cleaning up. There wasn't too much damage and everyone's mood began to lift slightly. 

Makoto, the neat freak, was following Minako, re-cleaning everything she did. Wufei was saying something about the injustice of having to clean up as he and Heero used knives to remove ricocheted bullets from the dry wall. 

Duo and Rei were trying to clean up the pieces of a large mirror Sailor Venus' attack had crumbled in the hall, Minako looking guilty all the while the other two cleaned it. 

"Ooh, wow this vase is uh...unique," Makoto said, stopping next to an expensive yet hideous looking vase sitting on display in the hall. Quatre came up next to her. 

"Yes, a friend of the family gave us the awful thing." Quatre paused a second, before knocking the vase off of the mantle it was sitting on and watching with joy as it broke into several pieces. 

Makoto gasped but Quatre looked pleased. 

"Those damn youma broke my vase," he said with a smile, heading off to get the broom as a wave of laughter swept through the room. 

* * *

"Can you walk?" Ami had taken Tylenol and was now very ready to get off the kitchen table. 

Ami nodded, not wanting to be prancing around on her leg perfectly tomorrow but being unable to walk now. Rei's leg had caused enough suspicion. 

Ami grimaced as she placed her legs on the ground, grabbing the chair next to her and taking a step away from the table. Immediately, a wave of pain shot up her leg and she felt Trowa's arms grab her to stop her from falling. 

"I knew that cut was deep," Trowa muttered, helping her stand. "So the walking is a no."

Ami groaned. Now she was going to have to fake a limp the next two days after her leg healed.

"Come on," Trowa said. Before Ami could object, he had scooped her up and was headed towards the living room, where everyone was chatting. As he carried her, Ami looked away, realizing something. 

Perhaps it wasn't just shyness that was keeping a barrier between her and Trowa. She was beginning to realize that she was developing feelings for him. It had only been one week, and she knew nothing could defend how quickly the two of them had become attached. Soon, she would be home, but he would be here. Any attachment she had would only cause heartache later. 

* * *

Hey guys, I'm hurrying up and writing chapter 7 too, so encourage me with reviews and I'll try to post it sooner!


	7. Positively Confused

Hey all, again thanks for your reviews! To those who didn't...please do? 

* * *

Chapter 7

Laycaon bowed deep before Andromache. 

"So you say that the inferior attacks of the two Senshi actually harmed you?"

Laycaon merely nodded, bowing his head lower when she stood. 

"What happened to your lip- and cheek?"

"The Mercury Senshi kicked me in the face. Plus, her stupid boy toy fired several bullets at me. I can only take so many my queen."

"You disappoint me, Laycaon. I know you're stronger than all the Senshi combined, but you are too weak to take a hit. We attack Tokyo today. Go lead the troops while I think of another strategy."

Laycaon bowed and ran off, and Andromache drummed her fingers. 

They had sent four of the Senshi away- and yet they were still thorns in her side. 

Plus, her takeover of Tokyo had been slowed since so many youma were destroyed early on. She needed something- extra. 

An idea came to her head, and she gasped and gave a laugh of delight as she sprang to her feet, running to the dungeons. 

There was Sailor Pluto, chained up and looking defeated. 

"You still have a purpose, Senshi of time." 

* * *

"We are so outnumbered!" Tuxedo Kamen glanced next to him at Sailor Moon, who was much less than optimistic, although he couldn't blame her. 

Sailor Uranus fell to the floor next to the pair, unconscious after having received one too many blows to the head. 

"Uranus!" Saturn was quickly at her side, Neptune destroying a youma and running over. 

"We need something fast, people are being killed like flies," Neptune said worriedly from where she stood. 

They were outside the hospital. Andromache had sunk so low that she had chosen to send youma in to kill sick people. 

This was the hospital that Ami's mom had worked at. 

The youma began to swarm in a group, and Neptune screamed. 

"They've killed enough people!" 

At that moment, her hand began to glow and Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask dragged Uranus away, keeping Saturn next to them as they realized she had probably just gained a new attack from her incredible anger. Sailor Moon could feel the power radiating from Neptune's fist.

"Raging Tide!"

She brought her other hand to meet her fist and an attack unlike anything the Senshi had ever seen Neptune do blasted forwards, beginning small and growing as massive as any wave they had witnessed, taking out about a third of the youma. 

Neptune promptly passed out, having drained herself completely. Tuxedo Kamen checked on Neptune, glancing at Sailor Moon and Saturn as he laid her down next to Uranus. 

"She's out cold but what a way to go down!" Sailor Moon screamed happily at Tuxedo Kamen's words, feeling more optimistic about the battle. 

Laycaon's mouth dropped open in shock. 

Saturn laughed as they watched Laycaon. 

"Andromache will kill me," he said, ushering their remaining youma into a portal and running. 

Once he was gone, their smiles disappeared, as they surveyed the wreck before them. Luckily, only about a quarter of the hospital had been damaged, but they were sick wondering how many people had been in that quarter. 

* * *

"Your instructions are clear. Act natural. Tell them your time staff and wand have been taken, and that you were lucky to survive enough to leap through a gate Laycaon had conjured for a youma. Your true goal is not to kill the Senshi or their hosts yet. Just act natural, gain everyone's trust, and then once you've learned all their host's secrets and distracted the Senshi enough, we go in for the kill. Be friendly at first, but remember that in the end the more tension and distrust you cause between the two groups, the more likely they are to just kill each other- which is perfect."

Setsuna nodded. 

The vile of liquid that Andromache had shoved down her throat had done its job. Setsuna knew everything about the Senshi, and retained her personality however her loyalty was to Andromache. The best part was that the solution in the vile had no antidote. Depending on the will of the person it was 

given to, it would take anywhere from four to eight days to wear off. That was plenty of time for Pluto to do plenty of damage. 

"Sometimes, I surprise myself with my brilliance," Andromache said, turning as Laycaon entered the room. 

"M-my Queen."

She glowered at him immediately, sensing that things had not gone well. She had been busy creating her plan "Before I kill you or punish you severely, open a dimensional gate."

He nodded, and with a wave of his hand a gate opened. 

Setsuna stood and stepped through, screaming when she dropped. The gate closed. 

He glanced at his Queen worriedly. 

"I will explain that part of my plan to you later," she said, referring to Setsuna. "Now- what happened?"

"We had the Senshi cornered, but Neptune freaked out and sent forth this huge attack. I've never seen anything like it, I-" 

Andromache growled. "How many of our troops are gone?"

"About one third."

She let out a scream of rage, grabbing him by the neck. 

"Idiot! How could you let this happen! I bet you saved yourself above the youma it took me countless hours to create or win over to our side!"

She dropped him suddenly. 

"If Neptune has a new attack, Uranus may develop one too! Then the rest of them! We need more troops and Setsuna must work quickly in the other dimension. Only two of the inners in the other realm have powers, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, only Jupiter and Venus."

* * *

Ami stretched in bed that morning, her head feeling much better. Minako shifted from next to her but did not wake up. Ami slowly climbed out of bed, feeling a slight pain in her leg but knowing it was mostly healed. Luckily, she could walk mostly fine, but her leg had a slight limp that she didn't have to fake. 

She happily beat Mina to the shower, toweling off her hair and getting dressed.

Minako was stretching in bed when she exited the bathroom, smiling. 

"Good Morning Ames," she said with a yawn. 

"Good Morning Mina," Ami responded with a smile. "Shower's free if you're ready." 

"How's the leg?"

"Better, I can walk on it today," Ami said, moving out of the room. She headed down to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and waving at the chef, Melina. She downed the glass of water and stuck her plate in the dishwasher. 

"Is most everyone still asleep?" Ami glanced at Melina and nodded. "I only saw Minako."

"Good thing I'm behind then today. How do scrambled eggs and bacon sound for today?"

"Everything you make is good," Ami said, waving and exiting the kitchen.

Penelope passed Ami in the living room. 

"Miss Ami, did you all clean up in here while we were out yesterday? It seems cleaner, and that hideous vase is missing."

Ami laughed. "Yes, Quatre wanted it gone."

She moved on past Penelope, who touched her arm lightly. "Ami, you're limping!" 

"I'm fine. Tomorrow I'll be jumping around on this leg."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." 

Ami spun around to see that Trowa was up, heading down the stairs. Penelope waved and headed into the kitchen as Trowa stepped down. 

"Good morning, when did you get up?" Ami asked. 

"About fifteen minutes ago- are you sure you can walk on that leg?"

Ami nodded as Rei walked out of the hallway her room was in. 

"Morning you two. Ames, are you the only one up? I had the strangest dream," Rei said, not going into details. Ami frowned at her, thinking it had something to do with the dreams she had previously experienced. 

Rei did look troubled though.

"I dreamt we found someone outside. Weird, huh?" 

Trowa was vaguely reminded of how they had found Ami and Makoto, but perhaps Rei didn't know that. 

"Odd," he commented, moving towards the window and peering outside.

"Yes," Rei said, now convinced it was nothing more than a dream. "The dream was so vivid. I felt like I was walking up to the body myself."

Duo descended the stairs, meeting Ami and Rei at the bottom.

"Morning ladies, Trowa what are you looking at so early?"

Trowa was now gazing intently out the window, and Ami approached. "What?"

He turned and threw open the door, running outside. The other three looked at each other and dashed after him. 

Duo gasped once he had stepped outside. Laying on the law, unconscious, was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She looked a couple of years older than the rest of the girls, and she had long dark hair. 

"Hey!"

Rei pushed past Trowa and Duo, Ami at her heels. 

"She's the last person I expected to see," Rei said, crouching down and checking Setsuna's pulse. She seemed a little worn out in appearance, but at first glance looked fine. 

Duo approached unsurely. 

"Is she- is she a friend of yours?"

The two girls glanced at each other and back at Trowa and Duo. 

"Yes," Ami said. "Can you help us get her inside?"

Duo nodded and approached, picking up the woman and carrying her inside. He set her down on the couch in the living room, and she stirred a bit.

"Setsuna," Rei said, unsurely. She blinked open her eyes, revealing large garnet orbs- the most beautiful eyes Duo had ever seen.

"What are you all looking at?" A couple of them turned to see that Wufei had spoken, exiting the hallway where his room was located with Makoto and Quatre.

The three approached and gasped when they reached the couch. Setsuna sat up, immediately becoming alert and looking at all of them. 

"Setsuna?" Minako came rushing down the stairs, Heero at her side as everyone stood around confused.

"Girls, you're all okay," she said, sounding shocked yet relieved as she glanced around.

"How did you get here?" They all glanced at Heero and back at Setsuna. 

"I don't remember," she said, confusion lining her voice. 

Ami frowned at Setsuna. She wondered what the enemy had done to her. Captured her, obviously, and probably taken her time staff and most likely her wand. She felt the small hope she still had die within her as her friends chatted with Setsuna. She had been praying that Setsuna would find a way to escape and come save them- but if she was here and powerless then who would get them home?

"I'm starting to get a new theory on what's going on here," Heero muttered to Trowa. "We'll talk later. There are too many theories."

"Well, since Ami and Minako's room is one of the largest, we can set up an extra cot in there for Setsuna," Quatre offered, becoming more restless to know what was going on day by day. 

"Thank you so much," Setsuna said, seeming very sad and worried. 

"You okay?" Ami glanced over at Trowa. She shook her head at her own actions. Setsuna was here, she was safe and had not been killed, and all Ami had done was pity herself. 

"I'm fine," she said, smiling slightly and heading upstairs with Setsuna and the other girls to get her set up. 

* * *

When they were gone, Heero motioned for everyone to sit. 

"I have too many theories right now. The first is that I think that the girls aren't learning enough information on us and more help keeps being sent. If that's the case, watch them closely. However, as more and more confused women show up, I'm starting to think that they could be pawns in a bigger organization."

"I agree," Quatre said. 

"What do you mean?" Duo asked. 

"Maxwell, pay attention. It is very likely that these onnas are just amazing actresses, but I think what Yuy is saying is that they never have an answer and know about all of these weird non-existent attacks because they are being drugged before being sent here. They could have a mission that they don't really know about until it comes into effect."

"It's very likely," Trowa said. "I somehow don't think they're guilty of anything just yet."

"Another scenario is that they are covering for somebody and keeping quiet about something. After all, we've seen enough monsters the last week that have come specifically to kill them," Quatre said. 

"The fact that none of their names are in any record I've found shows me that they could be using an alias though," Heero said, and everyone nodded grimly. That certainly indicated guilt of something.

"Alright then," Wufei said. "We stick with the plan; each one of us tries to get information. Maxwell, it's your dream come true. You tail Setsuna."

Duo laughed and tried to high-five an unwilling Trowa, who frowned at him in return. 

"Awesome, she's so hot!"

* * *

Upstairs, the girls were asking Setsuna a million questions. 

"I'm sorry," she said. "I've been captured for a few days now. I tried to escape, but in response my time staff and wand were stolen. They tossed me here, and I'm very worried about the time stream."

Minako hugged Setsuna. "Don't worry Sets, we'll figure something out!"

"We've got to," Makoto said, staring at her and looking away, worried.

"Rei, you dreamt about us finding her?" Ami asked.

Rei nodded. "Yes, it was like a vision."

"Well, whatever happens now happens," Setsuna said glumly. "How many of you still have your wands?"

"Minako and I," Makoto said. 

"Well, there's power in numbers at least," Setsuna said. "I know enough about this dimension, although I know nothing about the occupants of the house that I can disclose to you right now."

The girls nodded. 

"Ladies," Duo's voice said from the door. "Our talented cook Melina would like me to inform you that breakfast is ready," he said, looking at Setsuna and entering the room. 

"I haven't eaten in days," Setsuna admitted. "Where's the kitchen?"

"Duo Maxwell at your service," Duo said, offering her his hand. "Allow me to escort you there."

Ami rolled her eyes at the tone Duo was using with Setsuna, but Setsuna was apparently too hungry to care. 

"Coming girls?"

They nodded and followed. 

The rest of the day was quiet, even though Duo bothered Setsuna the whole time. Setsuna would simply smile and pay him no mind, her stoic yet kind nature shining through.

* * *

The next afternoon, everyone sat in the living room, bored and sprawled out on the floor and across the couches. 

"What to do, what to do," Minako was saying as she strummed her fingers on the table. Heero glanced over at her and turned back to his laptop.

"Mina, we're lucky that Quatre is letting us stay here at all," Ami reminded, glancing up from the last chapter of the novel Trowa had given her and turning her eyes back to her book. Trowa, who had been reading over her shoulder, glanced up as well.

"Don't worry Ami, I understand where Minako is coming from," Quatre said. Makoto was leaned against him, tapping her fingers on the edge of the couch as he fiddled with her long brown locks. Both looked equally bored.

"Well I'm so tired of this house," Duo whined from a few feet away. Setsuna, who had just arrived and was lucky to be there, looked pleasant enough and just smiled. 

"I hate winter," Rei agreed. "It's too cold to hang out outside."

"If you onnas would stop whining perhaps we could think of something to do," Wufei retorted from where he sat, although he seemed bored as well. 

"I'm really resisting the urge to smack you right now," Rei told Wufei, and he rolled his eyes. "Me too, you're lucky I'm not a woman beater."

"Wufei," Quatre said, sounding exasperated as he thought of something to do. "I believe there's an outlet mall an hour away from here."

"Absolutely not," Ami said from where she sat, once again glancing up from the most exciting part of the novel. She and the others didn't have a dime on them, and Quatre and his friends had done so much for them already. It wasn't Quatre's job to provide them with extra clothes that they didn't need. She laughed as Minako and Makoto's eyes had become hopefully and now both looked equally crushed. 

"You're right Ami," Rei agreed from where she sat. 

"Well it is winter," Makoto suddenly said from where she sat. "I mean, don't you guys ice skate or anything?"

The idea passed around the room quite nicely. 

"That is a gay man's and women's sport," Wufei said. 

"Well you fairy, you know what they say. The biggest homophobes are homos themselves," Rei retorted, and Wufei went red with anger. 

"No Wu-man, I'd suggest you say nothing back," Duo cut in, Wufei shifting his anger at him for the nickname.

"You can rent hockey skates Wufei," Quatre said, happy with the idea. "Actually, there's on outdoor rink about fifteen minutes from here, walking. Plus, it's sunny today, not snowing."

"A rink?" Quatre glanced at Heero. 

"Actually, it's a small man-made lake that always freezes over deep in the winter. The ice on it is very thick, and so many people from the area go there to skate and bring their families. Every winter, the indoor arena in the city sets up a place to rent skates next to the lake too, and children's hockey games are hosted there."

"Well Ami's leg is-" Ami cut Trowa off. 

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I don't even have a limp today," Ami said, and it was true. Her quick healing had shocked Trowa, especially since she had been unable to walk the day before, then limped _slightly _yesterday, and now was perfectly fine. 

"Then it's settled," Duo said. "Now ladies, there is a dress code. Women skaters wear little mini-skirts and also tights _if _you want." Five hands reached out to smack him, and he ran from the room. 

"Well thanks to what he just said I'm putting on jeans and a sweater," Rei said, exiting the room. 

Everyone followed. 

* * *

Since it was only fifteen minutes away walking, the group had decided to enjoy the walk there. Everyone was in thinner coats or thick sweaters for more easy movement, and all had found enough hats and cotton gloves and earmuffs to go around thanks to how many sisters Quatre had.

The group chatted excitedly, happy to be out of the house, and upon arriving at the rink began the confusing process of renting skates. It was crowded as Quatre had mentioned. The frozen lake was about 200 feet across and it was circular in shape. It was clear that it was man-made like he had said, since there was grass circling the entire lake and a forest right behind it. 

Everyone split up and headed to different benches to lace up their skates. Trowa finished his and stood, waiting as Ami tied her last one. 

She stood and he couldn't help but smile at her. Ami was wearing jeans and one of Quatre's sister's old petty coats. It was grey and stopped right at her hips, and she had on white cotton gloves and white earmuffs. Her cheeks were slightly red and she looked excited as she gazed at the ice. 'So cute,' he thought, resisting commenting. 

Trowa had on a thick forest green sweater with pockets in the front and a hood he was ignoring in the back, since he had on a hat. 

"Wow, look at Makoto," Quatre said from nearby and both turned to look as Makoto did a perfect spin on the ice and skated over to where Quatre stood by the ice. 

"Come on," she said, taking his hand. "Let's have some fun."

"Hopefully not the fun you just had, I'd fall flat on my face," Quatre commented as he skated next to her. 

"She is such an amazing skater," Minako said, watching Makoto. 

"Well you don't have to be amazing to have fun," Heero commented from next to her, having just finished lacing up his hockey skates. 

"True dat, true dat," Minako said, attempting to sound ghetto or tough, he wasn't sure which one. When he only glanced at her oddly, she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the ice.

"Let's go," she said. 

"Miss Meioh, please do me the honor of skating with me," Duo said, extending his hand. 

"No need for formalities Duo. I haven't skated in years though," she commented, standing. "Of course I'll skate with you."

Setsuna and Duo passed by an arguing Rei and Wufei. The two had stepped onto the ice together unintentionally, but after only getting a few feet from the edge both had slipped and fallen. 

Unfortunately for Rei's pride, she had toppled right on Wufei. 

She stared at him a moment and he stared back, the two absolutely silent although Rei couldn't fathom why. As soon as Setsuna and Duo had approached, the two had immediately begun to argue. 

"Get off me onna!"

"Like I wanted to fall on you, I would have preferred to fall on the ice and break something!"

When the staring Duo and Setsuna had skated away, the two had immediately become silent. 

Wufei stood and offered Rei his hand to help her get up, and surprisingly she accepted. 

Trowa meanwhile had stepped onto the ice. He wasn't an amazing skater, but he could at least move smoothly on the ice. Ami wasn't bad as well as she joined him, the two moving at approximately the same pace and beginning to talk about their friends, namely Rei and Wufei, whom they passed by and noticed weren't arguing, but actually trying to help each other across the ice.

Ami giggled slightly as she watched them, suddenly remembering that she and her friends hadn't gone skating in years. Not since Mamoru was being controlled by Beryl when Makoto had become a target by those two possessed skaters. 

She remembered how many times Usagi had fallen that day, and also taken down Ami and the others with her. 

"What's funny," Trowa asked, peering down at her. 

"Nothing," she said, glancing up at him. "I was just remembering something." Immediately, her thoughts drifted back to her friends, only now she was wondering how Usagi, Mamoru and the others were fairing alone. 

Seeing her demeanor change immediately, Trowa sighed. Ever since the night Ami had hurt her leg, she had been a bit more withdrawn. She tried not to show it, but she was, and he wondered why.

"Watch out!" Minako screamed from nearby. Ami and Trowa looked up to see Minako coming straight at them, seemingly unable to stop herself. Heero was about ten feet behind, and Ami heard him say something about using the front of her skate.

"Mina, Mina, use your front pick! Mina!" Ami shouted.

Minako did as she was told, but when she shoved the pick at the front of her skate into the ice so suddenly when she was going so fast, she went flying forwards and still crashed into Ami, who hadn't backed up far away enough. 

Trowa and Heero skated over as Heero helped the laughing Minako get off of Ami. Ami was laughing as well, and accepted Trowa's help as he hoisted her off the ground and didn't let go until she got her bearings. 

"Thanks," Ami said, her laughter calming as she grabbed onto Trowa's hand without having to fall and began skating. Trowa seemed relieved at her action, but said nothing as they continued across the ice. 

* * *

It began to get dark about twenty minutes later since they had decided to leave the house at around 5:30, and by 6:25 it was dark outside, typical for winter. 

"I'm not ready to go just yet," Makoto said as she and Quatre skated over to where they had all congregated in the middle. "Plus, the lights around the lake have come on."

It was true, the rink was very well lit, and now they had it mostly to themselves since many of the families had gone home.

"We'll skate a bit more then," Quatre said, agreeing with Makoto as they skated off. 

"I have to go to the bathroom," Setsuna announced suddenly. 

"Well, it's by the skate rentals. It's kind of dark over there, so I'll wait for you outside," Duo offered as the two skated off the ice, leaving everyone to their fun. Duo stood outside, leaned against the wall as Setsuna entered. 

She headed to a stall, shutting the door and turning on her communicator. She had told the girls that all she could get on it was static, but in truth Andromache had modified the communicator so that she could contact her. 

"Setsuna here," she whispered. 

Andromache's voice came through. "Good. Where are you? I sent Laycaon and some youma to the house to help cause tension but he said that it looked like no one was in."

"Yes, we're at a local rink about fifteen minutes away by foot. Only the Senshi and our hosts are here now."

"Good job. You're more efficient than Laycaon. Remember to keep up your act and allow them to attack you like the others. They will not kill you. I have given Laycaon specific orders for no scout or mortal to die tonight. I want to see exactly how much mistrust I can create among the Senshi and their hosts. I believe their hosts would be good soldiers on my team."

Setsuna stepped out of her stall and turned on the water a moment, before exiting. 

Duo grabbed her arm from the shadowed wall and she jumped, turning. 

"Got you," he said, slinging his arm over her shoulder. "Let's go skate."

She nodded and laughed somewhat nervously as they both made their way back to the ice. 

Makoto was currently teaching Quatre, Ami, and Trowa how to make a figure eight. Rei and Wufei were talking with Minako and Heero in the corner of the ice, and Duo insisted that they get in on the figure eight lessons. 

* * *

Not five minutes after Setsuna had made the call, Laycaon transported himself and a few youma to the darkened woods behind the rink. 

"You understand the plan," he cautioned the youma. "If you attack Setsuna, make sure her wounds are non-fatal, she will let you attack her. Also, Queen Andromache has shown some interest in the hosts of the Senshi. She believes that they are of value, and would like to see if the hosts themselves will kill the Senshi. Perhaps she is looking for recruits to replace your pathetic asses. So make sure that you only harm them and help to cause distrust amongst them, but do not kill yet. She was very specific with her commands." He paused, looking at the youma. They were his most trusted group and he hoped they followed his orders. 

"The Mercury scout did me damage when she was not transformed. When she kicked me in the face yesterday, she busted my lip and bruised by cheek." He touched his lip angrily. "Leave her to me, I want 

to attack her, at least do some damage if I am not allowed to kill, and perhaps harm her interfering trigger-happy boy toy. Remember, even if you forget everything I just told you: you kill a scout or one of their hosts without direct orders from Andromache, and I kill you."

The youma nodded blankly. They had been killing blindly in Tokyo so far, and were not sure why Andromache was suddenly so insistent on sparing the residents of the house, but figured it was all part of a larger scheme of things. It always was. 

* * *

Makoto laughed as she helped Duo get up after a failed figure eight. Her friends hadn't done badly actually. Most of them had been able to complete half of one before falling. 

A loud cracking sound was heard and everyone stopped laughing. From where they were conversing, Heero, Minako, Wufei, and Rei jumped. 

The ice began to shake, and everyone fell to the ground. 

"Oh no," Ami said, her tone becoming miserable as she realized what was happening. 

A huge crack tore through the ice down the middle, and everyone scrambled to opposite directions of the ice, away from the center. 

The four youma that had caused the breaking of the ice floated up in the air above the crack, staring at the groups. 

On one half of the ice was Minako, Heero, Wufei, Rei, and Setsuna and Duo whom had scrambled to that side of the lake. 

On the other side were Makoto, Quatre, Ami, and Trowa.

Laycaon floated next to his youma, surveying the damage. 

"Good, but not good enough," he said, raising his hands and breaking more ice in the center, which spread cracks towards the sides. 

Immediately, three of the youma flew towards one half of the lack while the last youma and Laycaon headed to the other, each one of them taking on two people. 

Minako and Heero scrambled away from the youma that came straight for them, just as the ice beneath their feet was breaking. 

"We have to get off the ice," Heero shouted, grabbing Minako and leaping with agility towards the grass they were not far from as the ice beneath them broke. They both landed in a heap on the edge of the ground, which was still covered in snow. 

"You may have escaped the ice but you both have me to worry about," the youma said above them. 

The two barely had a moment to look up before the youma raised its hands and threw some sort of a web on them. 

"What is this?" Minako asked, sitting up and trying to get out of it. Heero sat up as well, but before two could move it started crackling with electricity, attaching itself them. 

The two began to scream from pain as their skin began to burn, and the youma laughed.

Everyone could hear the screams but could do nothing as they had problems of their own. Setsuna and Duo were fairing alright since the youma had been told to take it easy. It had to however keep up appearances, and it began to pelt them with flames. The flames scorched their skin as the two screamed, Duo's bullets having no effect on the youma. However, the ice beneath their feet did not break, staying solid wherever they landed.

Rei and Wufei had at first put up a good fight, and Wufei's katana had done some damage at first as he slashed at the youma before him. The youma snarled, and it took the sword and flung it at a nearby tree, advancing menacingly. The two were not near enough to the edge, and too close to the cracks in the ground for comfort. The youma suddenly raised her hands and threw small black arrow heads at Rei and Wufei. They screamed as they made contact with their skin, feeling them draw blood instantly from the several places they had hit. 

On the other side, Makoto and Quatre were doing no better. When the youma had first attacked, it had sent large blades at them immediately. Each one of them threw themselves away, and the ground beneath them cracked. Since Quatre was closer to the edge of the lake, Makoto leapt over to him. She kept balance perfectly in her skates, and the two leapt to the side, landing on the snow and making a run for the darkened woods. Laycaon glanced over at his youma and tipped his head in the direction of the woods, and the youma pursued. 

Laycaon pursued Ami and Trowa immediately, still having a score to settle. He immediately went after Trowa first, knowing he would help Ami, and blasted him towards the center of the lake near the cracked ice. 

Ami screamed and Trowa grabbed his chest, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked right out of him. 

Laycaon turned his attention to Ami, who attempted to scramble away towards the edge of the lake. 

"Not so fast," he said, jumping in front of her. She backed up but he raised his hand and punched her across the cheek before she could get far enough, knocking her to the ice. 

"That is for my lip and cheek," he said, glaring at her. "Fair is fair." Ami was pretty sure that he had injured her far more two nights ago, but wisely kept quiet. 

"Silent today I see," he said, approaching her. 

Ami scrambled backwards, noticing Trowa slowly getting to his feet several feet away. 

"Hold it right there," Laycaon said, leaping forwards and reaching Trowa first. Trowa moved away very quickly, raising his gun which he had kept hidden beneath him and firing with precise aim- right at Laycaon's eye. 

Laycaon gave an angry scream of rage, crouching to the ground and holding his eye as Trowa scrambled over to Ami, kneeling next to her and checking on her cheek. 

"How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I took a shot. I fired at him basically everywhere else last time. I don't think a bullet in the eye would harm him like it does you and me, but since he is so strong than that would probably be his weakest point."

Ami stared at him in amazement, and he smiled, but Laycaon was quick to interrupt them. 

"You foolish mortal, I will teach you to interfere!" A small trail of blood was leaking from his eye and he was squinting from that eye, but seemed otherwise fine. Trowa was right; it hadn't affected him like others. 

Before Ami and Trowa could move, the ice beneath them began to break in several pieces, and Ami screamed as Trowa fell into the icy water. She grabbed at his hand but missed and his head went under as well. 

The ice beneath Ami began to crack as well, but rather than jump away she braced herself to go down, and instead dove into the hole in the ice Trowa had fallen into, intent on saving him. 

"Foolish Senshi," Laycaon said with a shake of his head. "Hopefully that won't kill them or Andromache will kill me."

He raised his hands and signaled to his youma. 

"Let's go!"

* * *

In the woods, Quatre and Makoto had been hiding from the youma that had pursued them. It had found them and begun to attack but looked up suddenly and disappeared. 

"That was close," Quatre said, out of breath. 

"Too close," Makoto admitted as they leapt up to find their friends, having the feeling that they were injured less than their friends. Quatre stopped at a tree by the edge, Makoto pausing as he pulled out Wufei's katana from the trunk. 

* * *

Ami gasped for air immediately when she leapt into the freezing water, feeling as if a thousand knives had stabbed her. She could barely see since it was so dark, but thought she saw a figure a few feet away. Swimming down towards him, she realized it was Trowa. He was shaking and struggling to swim up, but was conscious. Ami guessed the difficulty he was having was probably due to him swallowing a bunch of water when he first went down, leaving him no air. 

She glanced around, when she realized why Trowa had been in the same spot. Which way was up? She couldn't tell anymore. She and Trowa grabbed onto each other's hands, and Ami guessed a direction, hoping she was right for both of their sakes. The two smacked into a hard surface which was the ice above them. Where was the hole she had come down from? They wouldn't survive another minute down here, she knew, as the two brought their hands up and continued to kick their feet, feeling the ice above them and looking for an opening. Trowa began to grow weaker by the second, and Ami cursed mentally. He had been under too long and she wasn't helping. She couldn't let him down, he had saved her and she would never forgive herself.

* * *

Makoto and Quatre ran up to their friends, who had all begun to gather on the edge. 

Minako and Heero were being helped up by Setsuna and Duo, who weren't too injured. She and Quatre rushed forwards to help Rei and Wufei up. Both were bleeding but none of the wounds were serious. 

"We're fine," Rei said, leaning on Wufei. "Where are Ami and Trowa?"

"I just got déjà vu when you said that," Duo commented, as the group stared across the rink. 

"Those youma didn't stick around. They didn't even try to kill us," Minako said weakly, staring at the group. "They only injured everyone."

"Oh my God!" They all looked at Makoto, and followed where her finger was pointing. On the opposite end of the lake there was a huge hole, somewhat near the already cracked center.

"That wasn't there when we ran off," Quatre said, stepping forwards. "You don't think..."

He didn't finish his statement as Makoto ran off, and he followed. Wufei and Rei were close behind, trying to move while supporting each other. Minako and Heero, helped by Setsuna and Duo, were in the back. 

"Ami!" Makoto looked down into the dark water, suddenly shaking as she couldn't see a thing. 

Ami grabbed onto Trowa as he began to go limp, shaking him when she realized her hands had reached a crack in the ice. 

He became alert a moment as the two tried to figure out how to get out. 

Quatre gasped when he saw that there were fingers protruding from the cracked ice a few feet away, and not the whole. He and Makoto rushed over, kicking away the chunk of ice in the way of their friends with all of their might- a task made easy since Laycaon had broken much of the area. 

Ami's arms shot up momentarily, but she backed up and used the last of her strength to shove Trowa in front of her, knowing he'd been down their longer and needed air. Quatre gasped as Ami pushed Trowa up slightly.

Trowa was pretty much limp at this point. They pulled him up and then pulled Ami out, who was conscious and gasping for air. She collapsed next to Trowa on the ice, taking big strained breaths. Her head felt like it was going to explode and her body was shaking uncontrollably. 

Ami crawled over to Trowa, turning him over. He was very white and wasn't breathing.

She vaguely realized there were tears streaking down her face as she choked out her words. "I think he needs CPR!"

Ami felt ready to pass out, and at her urgency Quatre got down on his knees. 

"Push down on his chest a few times first," Ami rasped out. 

"You're lucky you're my best friend Trowa," Quatre said, doing so and getting ready to give Trowa CPR with Ami's instructions, knowing she was in no condition to do it right now. 

It was unnecessary. 

After pushing down on his chests five times, Trowa suddenly jerked to the side and coughed up water, suddenly taking deep, ragged breaths, his body shaking uncontrollably from the cold. 

He attempted to sit up, staring at his friend's faces, who were too shocked to do much but stare with a mix of relief and tears. 

Ami began to sit up, feeling frozen to the core, before her pounding headache became too much. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she dropped backwards as Makoto barely caught her head. 

Makoto pulled off her jacket and put it on Ami, zipping it and holding her still shaking body close to shield her from the cold. 

Quatre removed his own jacket as well, making Trowa put it on and helped Trowa stand but he only managed to take a couple of steps before also passing out, Duo leaving Heero to lean against Minako and Setsuna as he helped Quatre grab him off the ice. 

"Do you think they need a hospital?" Rei asked warily, gripping on to Wufei. Wufei stared down at her and looked back at the rest.

"I think you all need a hospital," Makoto said, glancing at the group. 

"Setsuna and I just have some minor burns," Duo said from where he stood.

"No, let's just head home and sleep," Minako complained. 

"We'll see how bad you all are when we get home. If necessary, I'll call that doctor friend of mine to make a house call. Hopefully he's not out of town; otherwise we'll have to drive about forty minutes to get to one." Quatre said.

* * *

Ami blinked open her eyes, placing her hand on her pounding head. 

What time was it? What was going on?

Her eyes flew open as memories of the previous night all came back to her. 

She jumped from her bed, keeping quiet when she realized that Minako was sleeping next to her. Minako looked seriously drained, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Setsuna was lying in a cot in the corner of the room. One of her hands that was sticking out of her blanket had a minor-looking burn on it- although Ami assumed it had been worse and that Setsuna's healing powers had taken care of much of it.

What happened to her friends? She looked at the clock next to her, which read 6:30. It was still dark outside, the sun having at least a half-hour before rising.

Ami climbed out of bed, realizing she was in her nightgown when she was halfway out the door but intent of finding someone who could give her some answers as to what had gone on with the rest of her friends- and a lot of Tylenol. 

She descended the stairs quickly yet quietly, aware that it was too early to bother anyone. The chef probably wasn't even up yet. At least she could have Tylenol. 

The house was quiet. Ami crept into the kitchen, hoping to be quiet enough not to wake anyone with rooms nearby. 

She froze when she saw someone hunched over the sink, and couldn't tell who it was. She stepped back unsurely and accidently knocked her elbow into the doorway. 

The person jumped slightly and turned around. 

Ami gave a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Trowa. 

She barely realized how quickly her feet were carrying her over to him as he moved away from the sink with equal speed and wrapped her in a crushing hug. 

"I'm so glad you're alright," she murmured against shirt, enjoying his hold. 

"I- thank you," he said, referring to her jumping in after him when she had the opportunity to leap from the breaking ice.

"I wouldn't ever leave you like that," she said, and he nodded. 

"I know."

Ami parted from him reluctantly, reminding herself that she was still in her flimsy white nightgown. 

"I came down for Tylenol," she admitted. 

"Me too," he said, indicating to his empty glass. He approached the cupboard and pulled out the bottle, popping the cap and passing Ami a couple as she grabbed herself a glass of water.

She gave him a grateful smile as he put them in her hand and she downed both with one gulp of water, praying they took effect immediately. 

"Do you know what happened to everyone else?"

He shook his head at her. 

"No, I just woke up about fifteen minutes ago." 

She nodded, setting her glass down at the counter with a small thud. 

"You seem feverish," she commented, reaching up to touch the back of her hand against his forehead.

"You too, if you didn't notice you're shivering," he said with a smirk, also touching her forehead lightly..

"Well, what am I interrupting," Makoto's voice said from the kitchen doorway. She was also in her PJ's, and pranced into the kitchen. 'Nothing, you would have been interrupting had you entered the room two minutes ago,' Ami thought, but chose to smile and explain. 

"The checking of temperatures," Ami responded as Makoto hugged her.

"I'm glad you're both okay, you two had us worried," Makoto said.

"What happened yesterday, to the rest of you we mean?" Trowa asked, and Makoto nodded. 

"Well, Quatre and I hid from our youma and it was called back before it attacked us. Setsuna and Duo got burned a bit but I think they're fine. Wufei and Rei had these piercing arrow heads thrown at them. 

They bled but weren't hit anywhere vital, but Minako and Heero got off pretty bad. They were electrocuted by this web thing, they could barely stand."

"That's awful," Ami said. 

"Yes, but like I said nothing was even meant to be fatal apart from the tumble in the lake you two took. Seems fishy to me, but who am I to say," Makoto said, digging around in the cupboard and emerging victorious with a box of granola bars.

Ami and Trowa reached out immediately and she laughed. 

"Okay, okay." After Makoto had handed them each one, Ami headed out of the kitchen, speaking. 

"I need a shower and some warm clothes." With a wave she was gone. Trowa stared after her a moment, before also exiting the room. 

Makoto frowned as she munched on her granola bar. She would be the first to admit that she had immediately taken a liking to Quatre. Minako seemed quite taken by Heero as well, and Rei was surely in denial of her feelings for Wufei. Setsuna had just arrived, but Makoto figured that Setsuna was only being nice to Duo since she held such a solitary post at the gates of time. Although they had only known the guys a few says, it would be hard to leave. Still, as she thought back to Ami and Trowa's behavior the last few days, she grew weary. Somehow, the topic of the two had come up in a conversation she and Quatre had the night after Ami hurt her leg.

"_I mean, he seemed pretty mad," Quatre told Makoto as he thought back to Trowa's mood when he had brought Ami inside after the attack. _

"_Yeah, I noticed that. I've also noticed Ami's slight change in behavior around him," Makoto said._

_Quatre nodded. "That's the thing. Trowa is my best friend and its taken years for him to be as comfortable around us as he currently is with Ami."_

"_Yeah, he seems pretty talkative and outgoing around her. Also, very happy and different from how he acts with the rest of us."_

"_It's only been a week," Quatre said. "I really like all of you, but our current situation is so confusing and unstable. I would hate to see him get hurt, even if Ami doesn't mean him any harm."_

_Makoto nodded. "I want them to be happy- it's just that there's this sort of intensity between the two that I just can't place. I can just feel it even when they aren't talking."_

Makoto shook herself from her thoughts as the chef, Melina, entered the kitchen. 

"Good morning," she greeted. "You're up early."

"Yeah, I'm energetic today," Makoto said, staring down at herself before laughing. "I think I'll go change."

* * *

That's all for now, I've been trying to get the chapter out quicker so please review and encourage me! I'm writing chapter 8 right now!


	8. Breathless

* * *

Hey, I'm again trying to get these chapter out quick. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8

"You are such an idiot Laycaon! You lectured your youma yet disregarded my direct orders!"

Laycaon kneeled pathetically on the floor before his queen.

"My queen, they both survived."

"Barely! Had their friends not saved them and moved the ice, both would have drowned!"

"My queen-"

"Don't speak! Listen. You nearly killed that Trowa guy. He is a great asset to my troops. They all are. If I granted them some power, they would be a force to reckon with, and you almost ruined that. He shot you in the eye, didn't he?"

Laycaon merely nodded, his pride hurt. His eye had a white patch over it until it fully healed, probably just for the day.

"He's smart. When he and the Mercury Senshi hid from you the other day, I noticed he is also very agile and uses tact when he acts..." Andromache looked away, staring at nothing in particular as a small smile came to her face.

"Q-queen Andromache?"

She was shaken from her thoughts and glared at Laycaon in an annoyed fashion. "What I mean to say is that they are all useful," she covered quickly, pointing out of the room.

"Leave me," she commanded.

He nodded and quickly walked away. Andromache smiled to herself once he was gone. She was being careless, speaking too much in front of Laycaon. In truth, she had begun to fall for the man who was constantly protecting the Mercury Senshi. If everything with Pluto played out like she was hoping, she would have him soon. Perhaps she would give him a higher ranking than Laycaon.

She smirked suddenly. She knew that Laycaon practically idolized her, but he had become weak. Despite several chances he continued to fail her. Of course, she could make use of him. Ever since she had first sent him to attack the Mercury Senshi, he had formed a special hate for her for some odd reason- and she could make use of it.

Tokyo was currently almost hers for the taking- but she needed the anger and mistrust to finish unfolding in the mansion for the next few days. That way, she would have the pilots and Senshi exactly where she wanted them- weak and filled with hate for each other. When she had the pilots on her side, she would finish her takeover of Tokyo.

* * *

After Ami showered and got dressed later that morning, she left her room. Setsuna had woken up, and was showering but Minako was still asleep. The chef had started on breakfast but probably wouldn't serve it for another two hours, since only half the occupants of the estate were up and they were all doing their own thing.

She passed by Trowa's room, but it was empty.

She wondered how Heero was doing. Trying not to be too intrusive, she cracked open the door, and noticed he was still soundly asleep. She quietly closed it and turned, heading downstairs.

Penelope and Mary were cleaning up the kitchen as Melina cooked, and Ami waved and headed past the kitchen, wondering if Makoto had gone to bed. She headed down the hall to her room and peaked inside. The shower was on, indicating Makoto was inside since Rei was sleeping.

She shut the door, passing by Duo, Quatre and Wufei's silent rooms and heading down the hall. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed a door she hadn't paid attention to before.

Did the estate have a basement other than the underground garage? She cracked open the door, and saw a long set of stairs. There was a small light at the bottom.

Someone was downstairs.

Glancing around, she shrugged and headed down, quietly shutting the door behind her.

She descended the stairs and noticed that the large room she was in was dark, but the light she had noticed was coming from a small room down the hall. This part of the estate was creepy.

She cautiously walked down the hall. The door was open about halfway, but before she could see anything she was face to face with Trowa, who seemed shocked to see her. Ami jumped back, trying to control her nerves.

He had luckily been exiting the room and was switching the lights off when he had run into her.

"You scared me," she breathed out. "I didn't even think the estate had another basement."

He stared at her a moment, before nodding. "Yes. I uh- come down here to watch television or read sometimes. It's nice and quiet."

In truth, the room he had been in was filled from old things they had all acquired during the war. The room had guns and other weapons that they didn't keep on them all the time, some old articles on the Gundams, files on certain people from their old missions that could come in handy at the Preventers and also some Preventers' paperwork.

Quatre hadn't wanted much of this stuff at his other more often used homes, so he had sent it here months ago. Trowa had been reviewing a few cases they had been given before vacation in there. He personally didn't care very much whether Ami knew his current job, but Heero would kill him since he still hadn't deemed them trustworthy. Still, it was rather odd that Ami had come down here.

"Oh, that's nice," Ami said, referring to his previous comment and suddenly feeling nervous. "I think I'll go upstairs now."

Trowa realized that he was being overly suspicious and cold, and grabbed her hand.

"If no one's up yet, we can hang out down here. It'll be a while before breakfast."

She nodded unsurely, and Trowa ushered for her to follow him into the larger darkened room, switching on the lights. Now that she could see, it was simply a large old family room. There was even a fireplace against the wall. It seemed very old-fashioned and yet she still marvelled at how beautifully the estate had been designed years ago, furnished from head to toe.

Trowa headed to one of the couches and sat down, dust rising from where he sat abruptly. Ami laughed and headed over.

"I'm guessing no one uses this room," she commented, sitting cross-legged next to him on the couch and turning to face him. He nodded.

"Minako's still asleep last I checked. I think Heero is too," Ami commented suddenly, having nothing else to say.

He nodded. "Wufei and Rei too I think. Quatre is as well, but he's just tired- and Duo but he likes to sleep in."

Ami nodded, seemingly in thought.

"Mako's funny. She seemed to be in a good mood this morning when she entered the kitchen. She was up as early as we were."

"Well, her joke held some truth to it," he commented seriously.

"Hmm?" She realized she was acting clueless at this point, deciding in vain to deny her own attraction to Trowa.

"She was interrupting," he said simply. Trowa's hand had made its way over to her cheek, his thumb softly brushing where Laycaon had punched her the day before. It was just about healed, looking only slightly bruised and making him wonder at her strangely quick recoveries. He did not remove his hand from her face as he turned his eyes back to her own.

Ami felt her heart rate quicken immediately upon this action. Trowa had to be one of the most serious people she knew. He held such intensity in his gaze, making her unable to tear her eyes away.

He leaned forwards slightly, his fingers traveling down slightly to her chin, and Ami unknowingly did the same. She could feel his breath on her cheek as her eye lids suddenly felt heavy, the two only centimetres apart. Trowa hesitated only a moment, before closing the gap between them and planting a soft kiss on Ami's lips, the kiss deepening within a moment before he reluctantly pulled away.

Ami was probably blushing but before either of them could speak, the door to the basement at the top of the stairs flew open and Duo shouted.

"Trowa! Are you downstairs? Breakfast is ready early man, let's eat! By the way, have you seen Ami? Anyways, we're all up now and in the dining room." Duo didn't even wait to hear a response or even see whether or not Trowa was actually in the basement before heading off, food on his mind alone.

Ami and Trowa stood quickly, and the two hurried up the steps. Trowa caught her hand before she opened the door.

"You okay?" She nodded at his question, hoping she wasn't as flushed as she expected herself to be.

"I- can we..." she trailed off, and he got the gist of what she was saying.

"Keep it between us?" He asked. She nodded.

"It goes without saying with our friends," he stated, and she laughed softly.

"I guess you're right."

* * *

Trowa headed into the dining room first, and sat down, ready to eat.

"Have you seen Ami?" Rei asked. Rei's arms had a few places that were wrapped up, and her cheek had a patch on it as well for what he could see. Wufei looked similarly wrapped and displeased this morning.

"Earlier. I think she's reading," he replied. Minako was pushing her eggs around her plate tiredly, feeling much better after a good night's rest, although Heero looked a bit worse off since he healed normally.

Setsuna and Duo were chattering quietly, and Makoto and Quatre had soon joined into the conversation.

"There you are Ames," Rei said suddenly, and Trowa looked up as well.

"Sorry, I hated leaving my novel at the part I was at," she explained, taking a seat next to Trowa.

"No problem. Glad to see you look better," Rei said.

"Yes, but you four look pretty bad," Ami said, indicating to Minako, Heero, Rei and Wufei.

"We'll be fine," Minako said, as the table broke into an uneasy silence.

Heero's fork clattered onto his plate when he finished eating, glancing around the table with a clear exasperation.

"We're not going to discuss yesterday?"

Quatre glanced up sharply. He knew that Heero was pissed. The last few days had been fun and yet had caused a lot more strain on everyone in the house.

"Fine," he stood, exiting the room. Minako glanced around the table at the other Senshi. The look they all have her was the same. Go lie to him.

She frowned, having nothing to say but hoping to alleviate the growing tension in the house with a few kind words, if even just slightly.

* * *

Heero walked into the further living room and sat on the couch, trying to gather his thoughts.

He had nearly destroyed his own plan in there, and needed to control himself, for at least a few more days. Things in the house were slowly unravelling themselves with each passing day. If they were going to learn anything, he had to stay calm and figure everything out. Something was bothering him about yesterday's attack. Minako had said it as they were leaving. The youma had attacked but did not try to kill them. There was something missing, a piece in the puzzle that would make everything crystal clear. Something that had either involved him and the other pilots directly or had now evolved to include them- but what?

Minako sort of tapped on the doorframe, and he glanced up at her.

"Hey," he said.

She entered the room and sat timidly next to him on the couch, acting a lot less outgoing than usual. 'She's about to try and lie to me,' Heero thought immediately, as he turned to glance at Minako.

"I just thought you might want to talk."

"Not really."

She frowned deeply. Was he playing games with her now?

At his smirk, she knew he was.

"I'm just frustrated," he said, standing and extending his hand to her in an all-too-friendly manner. "The last few days were tiring. Let's just continue our conversation from yesterday before the attack. I believe you mentioned that you hoped for a career in fashion."

Minako frowned deeper. He had a good memory, but he hadn't seemed overly enthused about the topic the day before. What had changed?

* * *

Back at the table, everyone glanced around at each other.

Ami's hand, which had been resting on the seat of her chair, was soon clasped by Trowa lightly, hidden beneath the table. A small smile graced her features but she soon turned her attention to the trouble makers of the table.

Wufei and Rei, both of whom were especially moody today, began to argue about stupid, unimportant things, like passing the pitcher of orange juice wrong.

Everyone who sat with them at the table seemed ticked off but held their tongues.

Rei stood a few minutes after their fighting had crossed the border of being ridiculous, saying she wasn't hungry and fully ready to storm away.

Wufei glared up at her, and spoke. "I'm the one who's not hungry," he said indignantly, throwing his napkin onto his plate.

"Yeah right, you just inhaled your entire plate!" Rei retorted, leaving the room with him arguing a point at her heels. Rei knew why she was being rude to him. Yesterday at the lake, she had seriously feared that she was starting to like him.

Unknown to her, Wufei felt the same and had decided that if he argued enough with her he would not become distracted and lose sight on his goal- gathering information.

"Um...today's not going to be a very good day, is it?" Ami looked at Makoto, sensing that as well.

"It's fine." Makoto nodded at Ami's words, looking somewhat bleary eyed. There had been a few good days in the estate but it was too hard to keep lying and avoiding questions.

"Why don't we bake something to improve everyone's mood," Quatre said out of the blue. "I heard chocolate makes women happy."

"I don't know about that," Duo said, eating the last bite of his breakfast and winking at Setsuna. "But it certainly makes me happy."

"That's an idea. My friends can't resist my chocolate chip cookies. I'd like to think that my cookies are the one thing that will always be good no matter how awful a person's day has been," Makoto preached, seeming empowered as she headed for the kitchen with a goal. Quatre followed, laughing a bit.

"Let's inspire Makoto more often," Duo joked, standing as he finished. Setsuna seemed like she was itching to leave the table, but Duo turned to her.

"Let's go bore ourselves with television."

"Okay," she said unsurely, before her tone changed and she seemed to get an idea. "Actually, I want to go change my sweater, I feel too warm in it. I'll meet you there."

Duo nodded, heading out.

Ami and Trowa stood as well, reluctantly releasing each other's hands and walking out of the dining room.

* * *

Setsuna headed up to her room quickly and shut the door. Backing away, she pushed a button on her communicator and Andromache's voice came through.

"I'm ready for the plan."

* * *

Duo sat lazily on the couch, flipping through channels uninterestedly. Setsuna entered the room and he looked up, smiling.

"Hey there," he said. Setsuna looked alarmed and his smile faded.

The two were currently in the smallest sitting room in the estate, having only one couch and a television.

She shut and locked the door and he sat up straighter, staring at her.

"What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you something," she said, approaching quickly and looking on the verge of tears.

"What is it?" He was suddenly alarmed as she sat next to him.

"We don't have much time before someone tries to come in and bother us with something, so I need you to listen very carefully."

* * *

Heero frowned at Duo, who stood at the doorway of the living room looking slightly dazed.

"Hey buddy, can I get you to come help Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, and I with something?"

"With what?" Minako asked, curious.

"Don't worry about it," Duo replied, smiling at her. She smiled back unsurely.

Duo and Heero left, meeting up with Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei at the stairs. "Let's talk in the library," Duo said hurriedly.

* * *

The Senshi were all standing around the island in the kitchen, waiting on Mako's cookies to finish.

"What are all of them worked up about?" Rei asked, glancing at the girls.

Setsuna seemed down.

"Are you okay Sets?" She glanced over at Makoto.

"I'm okay I suppose. Unfortunately, I have some news."

The Senshi all peered at her closely, and she turned to Ami.

"Ames, is there any part of the house you were kept away from?" Ami frowned at Setsuna. What did she know?

Minako glanced between the two. Ami looked around the kitchen, before nodding, her heart beginning to pound very quickly.

"Actually, Trowa stopped me from entering a small room in the basement today. I didn't even know there was a basement, only knew of the car basement."

"Take us there."

Ami nodded, walking towards the bedrooms and heading in the direction of the basement door.

She shut the door behind them carefully and they all crept quietly down the stairs.

"Creepy," Minako commented.

"Ditto," Makoto said, following close behind Rei.

"It was right...here."

Ami approached the room and opened the door, flicking on the lights.

The five stood shocked, staring at the room. It was firstly filled with weapons. Secondly, there were several files all over the room.

Setsuna and Ami ran forwards, beginning to dig through them.

"Do you think they had something to do with the war?" Rei asked.

Ami shrugged. Setsuna picked up more various files on several people, with words such as "missing" written across the folders.

"There are also a lot of files for an organization called the Preventers," Ami commented. When she had researched this world, she hadn't had a chance to look into anything about them.

"It is exactly as I feared, although I didn't want to believe it," Setsuna said, stopping what she was doing. "I think that the Preventers are a group that is against the current peace. They may have workers in several nations, it is a large organization. There are so many files here on crimes and kidnapped people, all things that the Preventers are responsible for or keeping tabs on."

Everyone stared at her blankly a second, not really comprehending.

"To put it simply, I think we may be staying with a bunch of murderers," Setsuna said.

It took a while for it to really set in as more things began to make sense.

The guns, how talented they were in combat, how precise their aim was.

The fact that all had stated they had jobs in law enforcement but had never gone into the details.

The suspicion of everything that happened with the Senshi, as if they themselves were under attack.

Ami thought back to her first few days in the house. Heero had searched her name and had attacked her, being restrained.

"Did Quatre mention where all his money came from?" Everyone shook their heads at Setsuna, who sighed.

"I'm thinking it could be blood money."

All of the girls were looking more horrified by the second, so Setsuna cut in.

"They can't know that we suspect them of anything," Setsuna said quickly, beginning to straighten out the room. "We have to try our best to act natural, but I'd recommend you not get too close to them until we can figure something out."

The girls hurried upstairs, more distraught then they had been for days. Ami could sense her friends' pain, but couldn't help but feel sorry for herself as well.

Something was plaguing her mind. Had Trowa been acting with her? She thought back to that morning, how he had snapped at her when she approached the room and acted cold. Then, he had changed his demeanor suddenly and led her away from the room, all smiles, and she had fallen for it. She had kissed him! Ami never acted so rashly! She desperately wanted to confide in her friends, but she knew they would get upset with her for falling for Trowa so quickly, in the grimmest of situations, knowing she would leave and never see him again.

* * *

"Alright Maxwell, what's the problem?" Wufei snapped. "Did you break a nail?"

"It's about the girls," Duo said frantically. "Setsuna just told me a lot of stuff. I'm not positive I believe her but she said that I'd find out if she was telling the truth tonight."

"What?" Quatre asked, leaning forwards with interest.

It was a mouthful, and Duo knew that the best way would be to just blurt it out.

"She told me that the girls are here to either kill us or follow through with a plan that's been made for months now."

The other four stared at him a moment and he grew tense, before Heero stood, seemingly read to believe it.

"What more did she tell you and what did she offer as proof?"

"Well," Duo said, feeling incredibly weird about the subject at hand but continuing. "She said that the five of them are mixed up with power even they can't control. I think she was referring to those monsters. She told me they're great actresses and have had every part of what's gone on here planned perfectly. She said that she was once part of their group, which is basically out to take over this world. However, she told me that they plan to do it not with technology but with powers or those monsters we saw."

"That sounds like a load of bull," Wufei said flatly. "Then again, everything you just said makes sense with what's been going on in this estate."

"Yeah," Duo said, continuing. "She said they probably plan to give us the option of joining them in their war or killing us."

"Hold on," Trowa interrupted. "It would all make sense, but the girls have been injured every time we had a fight."

"Did you notice," Wufei said, "How none of them stay injured long? Maybe they are in on it."

Trowa's eyes widened slightly. Rei's leg, Ami's leg, her head, her cheek, how they pummelled each other in the gym but were not hurt, how quickly they had all recovered today...it all made sense.

"Setsuna mentioned, before leaving the room in a hurry since she was afraid to be caught, that if a woman with blonde hair in an odd hair style and a tall man with dark hair and eyes showed up here tonight, then that would mean they were ready to go through with their plan."

Everyone glanced at each other. So they had to wait to see if Setsuna was telling the truth.

"She had one word of advice. She doesn't want the girls to know she told- they'll kill her. She asked us to act natural but still keep a safe distance- like staying in groups," Duo said.

"Did you ask her about those weird death tolls?" Quatre asked from where he sat.

"She said it's fake; Ami's mother's death- everything. All to distract us from the real issues at hand."

All of them were standing by now. Not one of them knew what the other was thinking, and they perhaps didn't want to discuss it at all.

"What if it's true?" Duo asked suddenly. He wanted to believe Setsuna, but at the same time they had become really good friends with all the girls. How could they have bad intentions?

"Well, you all need to keep a gun or some weapon hidden on you," Heero said, although he did not go into detail.

They all parted ways when they heard the sounds of the girls moving around nearby.

* * *

Trowa descended the stairs quickly. He didn't know what to think of what he had just learned. It couldn't be true-could it?

Reaching the second floor, he moved to head downstairs and realized that Ami was only two steps ahead of him. She glanced over but did not acknowledge him otherwise. He felt compelled to reach out and grab her- talk to her...something. She reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for the kitchen before he was halfway down. Had she been playing games with him? He shook with anger at the thought. He had spoken to her so much...revealed so much...liked her so much. Plus, he couldn't tell anyone. Heero would have killed him for getting so attached after numerous warnings.

What if it was true?

He headed into the kitchen as well. Everyone was in there.

The girls were standing to one side of the island, munching timidly on Makoto's cookies. His friends leaned around the opposite aside, also eating yet watching the girls carefully.

"So," Makoto asked, trying to act natural as instructed. "How are the cookies?"

"Good."

"Very good."

"Delicious," were the quick agreements around the room.

Quatre stared at Makoto a second. Was she a murderer? Yes, she was strong-willed and had physical strength and agility. But, did that make her guilty? He thought back to their numerous long conversations over the past week and a half. Were they all lies?

Makoto glanced over at him, noticing his gaze. She had thought he was as into her as she was him, but surely he was lying. She resisted the urge to beat him up like she had her old boyfriend. In all truth, they needed to stay here. The boys hadn't done anything yet, and so far despite what they were up to there was no direct link from them to her enemy. Plus, what if Laycaon knocked another one of their friends into the gate and they landed here after she and the Senshi took off in search of another place to stay?

Wufei finished his cookie but couldn't resist glaring at Rei. The onna simply glared back, although he figured there was no harm in their little staring contest since they glared at each other on a normal basis anyways. She was relentless for lack of another word as she continued glaring at him suspiciously and bit into her cookie. He had the sudden urge to look away and let her win although he would never admit it to anyone.

Rei did not stop glaring at Wufei. Could she confront the lying jackass? No, but she would certainly not let him win the staring contest. The man infuriated her beyond belief, but she would be lying if she said that there hadn't been anything more there. She mentally slapped herself. She had been in this dimension less than a week. Surely it was too soon to care. Her eyes widened when he looked away, speaking. "I'm uh- heading to the gym."

Everyone in the room stared after him, having caught on to the duo's staring contest.

Duo shared a quick glance with Setsuna. She gave a sigh and left the room. Duo stared after her. If she was telling the truth, he prayed the girls didn't harm her.

Setsuna had a feeling Duo had believed her act and every word she had told him, although he had been hesitant at first. Good, everything was going according to plan.

Minako reached for a third cookie, not caring if she looked like a pig. All of Heero's odd behavior, his questions and seemingly split-personality; it all made sense. He had been acting, and not just acting a little off character but seriously putting on a big show.

Heero glared at Minako from where he stood. She was avoiding his eyes and acting suspicious. Did she know he knew?

* * *

Everyone pretty much kept away from each other that afternoon, all left to their own thoughts.

Ami was no different, as she was currently alone in the room she, Minako and Setsuna shared. It was odd, but although she should have found Setsuna's presence comforting it had actually been unnerving the last few days. Typically, Setsuna was looked to by all the Senshi for her wisdom and ability to stay calm. She was usually solitary yet couldn't ever hide her kind nature.

Not that she wasn't acting kind, she was sweet as always- but something felt off and Ami couldn't put her finger on it.

"Ames! Dinner!" Minako shouted from downstairs and she stood with a groan. More awkwardness awaited her, she knew.

She glanced at the clock and realized it was already 7:00. Melina was later today. Ami descended the stairs and saw that Penelope was standing with Mary and a few other maids at the door. Melina came rushing from the kitchen, gathering her jacket in her arms and picking up a suitcase. Ami glanced at them questioningly.

"Christmas is two days away Miss Ami. Master Quatre was supposed to let us go the day before, but he's decided we can head home for our vacation now. He was sort of in a hurry, actually," Penelope commented thoughtfully.

Ami frowned. What could this mean?

Quatre entered the hallway.

"Dinner is all ready Sir, you all enjoy your vacation," Melina said as she and the others exited the estate.

"Happy Christmas," Penelope bid to them as she also left, the hallway now empty.

"Ready to eat?" Quatre asked, speaking to her for the first time since breakfast. Ami nodded dully, but a scream from outside made the two run to the door.

"Master Quatre!" Penelope was the one who'd shouted.

He ran outside and the two gasped as two figures approached them. It was too dark to see who though.

"Ami?" Two people asked this together.

Ami gasped as she recognized the voices.

"Usagi? Mamoru?"

Usagi ran at her with top speed, revealing who she was once stepping near enough to the porch light.

"Thank God you're alright!"

Mamoru followed at a normal speed, and Quatre gasped once he saw the two.

"We're fine Penelope. You and everyone go," Quatre commanded, his tone hardening considerably.

The employees noticed, packing up in their car and driving away.

"How did you get here?" Ami asked, hugging Mamoru as well. Both looked tired.

"We fell," Mamoru said nondescriptly, and she nodded.

"Quatre, this is Usagi and Mamoru, two friends of mine."

Quatre didn't bother looking surprised.

"Nice to meet you, you're just in time for dinner."

He headed inside.

"Where are we?" Usagi asked in a whisper. Ami shrugged.

"We'll talk after dinner. I'm sure you're hungry."

At Usagi's nod, Ami sighed. Usagi and Mamoru currently had no idea about the condition of the estate they were walking into.

The four of them entered the dining room. Everyone had been sitting silently and looked up.

"Usagi! Mamoru!" Four voices shouted.

"I guess introductions are over with," Quatre said, forcing a laugh as he sat next to Trowa stiffly, not sure of what to do. Usagi and Mamoru found seats, and they both stared at the girls with a mix of shock and confusion at their silence otherwise.

Usagi glanced over at Mamoru as the two pulled up seats, muttering "there's something weird going on here." She smiled warmly at Setsuna, having thought she was dead but not saying anything right now. She and Mamoru felt awkward and the tension between the two groups in the room was unbearable.

The pilots stared at each other and back at the two newcomers, their stomachs sinking as they realized that Setsuna had told the truth. Duo glanced at Setsuna, and she nodded. He sighed loudly.

Usagi, who was starving, noticed no one was touching their food.

"Um...is no one hungry?"

The words of the newcomer seemed to spark something within all of the occupants of the table.

"Who's your friend, Rei?" Wufei snapped from where he sat. "Where did she just come from?"

"I don't know," she responded, her glare never dying. He scoffed loudly.

"A blonde girl with an odd hairstyle falling from the sky with a dark-haired man tonight, tell me Makoto what exactly are the chances of that happening everyday?" Quatre asked, his unusual use of sarcasm dripping in his words.

She glowered at him, placing her hands on the table in front of her and leaning forwards, curious at his sudden need to know after everything else that had already gone on.

"You tell me."

"So, Usagi is it? Is that hair common where you're from?" Duo asked, his smile fake. Setsuna smiled slightly.

Usagi frowned at him, glancing at Mamoru and everyone else at the table's sudden anger. "Um...not really, I guess."

Heero stared at Minako suspiciously, and she frowned deeply at the sudden anger on the table.

"What's wrong with everyone?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps we noticed you and your friends are odd."

"Mmhmm, yes, and you carrying a gun at all times while on vacation in the English country isn't at all odd," she said flatly, eyeing him curiously.

Trowa sat in a moral dilemma at the table, right across from Ami. This proved what Setsuna said, didn't it? This meant something would have to be done, right?

Ami sat stiffly, avoiding glancing at him and her hand shaking as she went to take a sip of water.

Trowa watched her. 'She's shaking, she's guilty of something.'

Heero suddenly stood.

"Enough of this bullshit," he said, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Minako. She froze, and he indicated for her to stand. She did so slowly, raising her hands as a form of surrender.

"Heero!" Makoto exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You should worry more about yourself," Quatre's voice said from next to her, and she gasped when she felt the cold metal of his gun on the back of her head. She sat stiffly in her chair, also raising her hands as her eyes widened considerably.

Before Rei could defend her friends, Wufei had her pinned on the opposite wall, pulling his katana out from under the table and stepping away slightly, raising the sword underneath her chin. "I'd suggest you stay put as well."

Duo stood, pointing a gun at Usagi and Mamoru and indicating for them to step away from the table. The two did so slowly, and he nodded, making them back up to the opposite wall. Setsuna, rather than also move there, stood next to him. Usagi gasped.

"What are you doing?" Mamoru asked, eyeing her warily and stepping in front of Usagi.

Ami leapt to her feet, not knowing what she was going to do but knowing she had to do something. Before she could blink, Trowa had leapt across the table with incredible speed, knocking over a few glasses and tackling her to the floor. He sat on her and pinned down her arms, pulling out his gun and holding it to her temple. This silenced her scream and she stared up at him, wide eyed and unable to believe what was happening.

Trowa stared into her fear-filled eyes, feeling remorse at their actions but not letting it show. They _had_ to know the truth.

"This is your one chance to explain everything to me," he said, trying to keep his voice void of emotion.

"Explain what?" she asked, her voice indicating that she wanted to cry. "It's you who owes me an explanation!"

"I don't happen to see it that way," Trowa explained, feeling his stomach lurch at the way she was looking at him. Something was wrong. Something was missing.

"Just tell me everything you've left out," he continued, not wanting to grow weak. His friends were all interrogating someone across the room, and none of them seemed affected by the situation. All were keeping strong.

Trowa was an expert. He should be able to stay firm and make her tell him everything.

"I...I can't," she said.

Trowa removed the safety of the gun, and the click seemed to echo across the room even though no one paid them any attention. Her eyes widened even more if possible, and he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest slow as she exhaled a shaky breath.

"Well?" Trowa wondered if she would then be afraid enough to tell the truth.

What to do? Ami knew her friends were in similar predicaments. Lie more? Buy time?

"We...we came here by mistake," Ami said hurriedly, not sure where she was going with her statement at all but feeling her mind go blank.

"Mistake?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at her critically a second. "You weren't here for something specific...something from us?"

"No," she said quickly, and he sighed, having been watching her closely. She was buying time; the words she was saying meant nothing to her...her eyes betrayed her.

"You and I both know that's not what I'm waiting to hear," Trowa said softly, and she seemed to have grown quite used to the gun at her temple by this point since her fear had dissolved slightly.

"Well why don't you tell me what you think I did, and I'll do my best to explain if it's true," she said boldly, and he shook his head.

"I'm questioning you- it's not going to go the other way."

Ami chanced a glance at Minako, whom was standing nearest to her with her hands up- or Makoto, still seated at the table and talking steadily to Quatre. Neither one of them had revealed anything from what she could hear, and she was sure it was the same for the rest.

"Hey," Trowa said, tightening the grip he had with his left hand on her wrists. "You're not looking at what they're saying right now."

She seemed to have made up her mind about something though, and she looked up at him fiercely. "You were trying to keep me out of the room this morning."

"And you went back downstairs," he said suddenly, realizing that she had of course returned down when he was gone. She did not reply to that statement, even though he had no doubt about it.

"You were playing games with me," she said softly. He hadn't been, and her words stung slightly although he couldn't place why.

"I believe it's the other way around," he stated coldly.

She stared into his eyes a moment longer, almost searching for any word of a lie, before looking down and away.

"Go ahead and shoot me."

He froze, not sure how to react. He had thought that perhaps he and the rest of the guys could simply scare them into confessing, somehow not in the right state of mind to do anything but lock her up until he cleared his head. He couldn't just shoot her- find a way to have her arrested maybe, but killing her would make him an unlawful murderer. Was she aware of that? What kind of a person did she think he was?

"Come on," she said, looking up again. "Shoot me." Ami didn't know what she was trying to do right now. Perhaps with the last two weeks of horror and loss, she should have considered having one of her friends tape her mouth shut. After all, she had realized in the course of the past five minutes that she didn't know Trowa at all; why test him?

He seemed to be thinking about her words although she hoped he was not seriously considering her offer.

"This is insanity! Setsuna, what do you think you're doing?" Usagi demanded, suddenly incredibly angered. She and Mamoru had come straight from battle to be dumped into this mad house- and the Senshi of time had switched sides.

"I am saving these men. I will not let you harm them," Setsuna said with a very serious look on her face. Had there not been a gun a few feet from her face, Usagi might have leapt upon her and beaten the evil right out of her. Instead, Mamoru spoke up.

"What exactly are we guilty of?" He asked Duo, who merely shrugged.

"You know better than I do," he said to Setsuna flippantly.

She nodded. "I certainly do and I am so happy to be out of this group. Duo, these people need no further questioning. They will disclose no information. It will do the entire world a favor if you rid us of them."

Duo had begun to nod but stopped. He turned to glance at Setsuna.

"We're not in chaotic war-fare," Duo said, frowning deeply at Setsuna. "I can't just shoot them. That's a crime."

"Why not?" Setsuna asked, her tone changing drastically. "I was standing right here and I saw them threaten your life. It was self-defense."

Duo's mouth sagged open slightly and Usagi and Mamoru looked between the two. It was like watching good-cop/bad-cop.

"You've killed so many," she pointed out with a roll of her eyes. "They are serious trouble if you let them be. What are a few more?"

Why was Setsuna acting so strange...so unlike herself?

"You misunderstand me then," Duo said, his eyes hardening. "I do not kill for pleasure. Anything I have done was in war for what is right."

"If you're too weak, I'll do it," Setsuna spat out furiously, suddenly grabbing a hold of the gun and removing the safety.

Duo fought back furiously, and Setsuna's finger pulled the trigger as he kicked her away. The sound of the gunshot resonated through the room like thunder, accompanied by Usagi's scream.

Duo gasped, his gun clattering to the floor. Setsuna laughed slightly from where she lay on the floor.

Mamoru stood, clutching his right shoulder as blood seeped from his wound. A glow around the area where Usagi stood caught the attention of the Senshi, who after the recent disturbance were allowed up by their interrogators. Her broach was glowing brightly, and before they could blink it had opened.

A small crystal flew out from the broach, hovering in the air a few feet from she and Mamoru before exploding in light.

"No!" Setsuna shouted, now furious, as everyone was bathed in the light of the crystal.

The pilots weapons clattered to the floor as any injuries they had were immediately healed by the crystal. Mamoru gasped and removed his hand from his wound, watching in amazement as the bullet fell from his shoulder and his skin stitched itself back together.

"Usagi," he said in amazement. "What did you do?"

"I...I don't know," she admitted. The light died away and the crystal flew back into her broach immediately, knocking Usagi backwards, who was caught by Mamoru. she stood shakilly.

The pilots had no idea what had just happened. They felt...stronger, more alive.

When the light had washed over them, they hadn't been afraid. It was the purest thing they had ever felt.

"Wow," Minako said, now realizing that they were back to square one. Or were they?

Duo turned to look at Setsuna, but rather than looking angry she was sobbing. She slowly turned, kneeling and raising her head to meet Usagi and Mamoru's shocked glances.

"I beg your forgiveness," she said. "Princess Usagi, Prince Mamoru...I was brainwashed. The crystal healed me. I remember everything I did but could do nothing to prevent it."

Duo wasn't sure he was buying it, and was confused about the titles she had addressed them with. Usagi however immediately threw herself to the ground and wrapped Setsuna in a hug.

The Senshi stepped forwards uncertainly, and Setsuna finally stood, addressing them and the pilots.

"I lied to all of you. Pilots, these women are not associated with the enemy and meant you no harm. They are the purest people I know. The enemy sent them here one by one after every battle to weaken our city's defence. Senshi, I lied about everything in that room. Also, you should know that the Preventers are a good government group- not terrorists. I know there's a lot you all must explain to each other...but please know at least that for now."

Her words, although brief, cleared up every issue in the room within seconds.

Usagi and Mamoru watched, wide-eyed, as everyone in the room suddenly began to glance around, indicating that apologies were due.

Quatre grabbed Makoto's arm, his eyes slightly red.

"I didn't want to believe it."

"Me either," she said, wrapping him in a hug.

Heero glanced over at Minako, and she approached immediately. "Don't worry, I know you're hard headed and won't admit you were wrong," she said with a laugh, and he simply nodded.

"Right, and I know you think you were right," he explained, a smirk playing on his lips as the tension melted from the room.

"I hope I didn't hurt your weak neck with that sword onna," Wufei said nonchalantly, seeming apologetic. Rei punched him in the arm and scoffed, but they both shared a smile.

"So you were under enemy control the whole time," Duo stated. Setsuna nodded.

"When you went to the bathroom at the lake, you were telling them where we were, weren't you?"

Setsuna nodded sheepishly. "Again, I apologize."

"What for," Duo said flippantly. "I'll have you know that dangerous evil-chicks are hot." Setsuna, rather than give an ambiguous comment or wise remark as she normally would, flushed.

Ami glanced around the dining room, searching for Trowa.

She didn't see him anywhere. She approached Makoto and Quatre, frowning.

"Did you see-"

Both knew who she was referring to.

"I think I saw him head into the kitchen," Makoto said. She nodded, intent on following, but Quatre grabbed her hand first.

"Ami, Trowa's my best friend. He hasn't told me anything about the two of you, but it's obvious he really cares about you. I just wanted you to know that...he doesn't normally act around anyone the way he does around you. He's never this rash about anything."

Ami smiled at Quatre, happy for a little insight into Trowa's behavior, before Makoto pushed her towards the kitchen door. She glared lightly and entered, glancing around.

At first, she didn't see anyone.

Ami took a few somewhat cautious steps inside the kitchen, now noticing Trowa's figure standing by the sliding glass doors.

She approached him quickly, reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder. Before she could, he spoke.

"I wasn't playing games."

She stopped, but spoke. "I know."

At her words, Trowa suddenly turned. He pulled her towards him and she moved willingly into his arms, not too sure what she'd do when she had to leave.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have believed her," he said, and she nodded.

"Me too, it's not your fault. We lied about everything and we put you all in danger," she said, finally looking up at him and meeting his gaze.

Trowa leaned down, Ami meeting him halfway as the two shared a quick kiss, lest anyone see them. Ami didn't know why, but she felt her eyes stinging with unshed tears, and a couple made their way down her cheeks.

He brushed them away immediately, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head as well. "I have to explain to you, we'll have to figure out a way home soon...and when we do we can't ever come back."

He felt his breath get caught in his throat at her words. "Why?"

"I..." Ami paused, not prepared to go into full details about the idea of a separate dimension at that moment. "It's hard to explain."

"Try me," he said, and she nodded.

"It's a mouth-full."

"Just tell me some of it for now. Help me understand," he pleaded.

"We're from a dimension parallel to this one. It's almost the same apart from your technological advances here. We are warriors there who fight monsters like the ones who came here. The enemy found a way to breech the parallel dimensions and send us here, which is not allowed. Once we figure out a way back home- we're gone."

Trowa tried to ingest what she was saying. He was sure there was much more to their battles and world than the shortened version she had just given him, but one thing was clear: she would have to leave him.

Quatre entered the kitchen a few moments later. Trowa was leaning on the kitchen table slightly, not speaking. Ami's eyes were slightly red and puffy, and she was watching him carefully. Trowa looked like he had been punched in the stomach.

"What's wrong?" They both looked up at him.

"Have you or anyone else discussed where exactly the girls have come from?" Trowa asked him. Quatre frowned and shook his head.

"Go ask," Trowa said lightly, Ami shaking her head warily.

Quatre watched the two a moment, before speaking.

"There's still a table with lots of food and everyone's hungry. Come eat, and we'll have a long discussion over dinner."

He left, and the two looked at each other.

"Come on, you're probably starving," Ami coaxed, taking his hand and pulling him with her. "Everything will be okay." He nodded, although neither one of them believed her words.

* * *

There it is! The next few chapters will explain any loose-ends and also will have more action than than this one did, review and encourage me!! Chapter 9 is _almost _finished, I'll fix it up quicker with more reviews, lol.


	9. In the Dark

Chapter 9

"Thank God," Usagi said dramatically once Ami and Trowa entered the room, following Quatre. "We waited for you! I'm still starving, you know!" Mamoru smiled sheepishly from next to Usagi, and Duo sort of laughed at her comical tone.

Ami smiled at Usagi, realizing then how much she'd missed her.

"Sorry," she said, sitting down across from Usagi and Mamoru in one of the few untaken seats. Trowa sat down next to her, attempting to brighten up in front of everyone at the table.

Everyone began to eat immediately, a silence filling the table.

After a few minutes, Quatre spoke up.

"While we're all sitting together, I think it would be a good idea to discuss a few of our current issues," he commented, cutting a piece of chicken and chewing it thoughtfully. His thoughts revolved around how shocked Trowa had been.

"That's probably for the best," Minako said, a few murmurs of agreement passing around the table.

"So where exactly are you from?" Heero asked Minako.

She sort of laughed. "It's so hard to explain."

Rei glanced up from her plate. "Setsuna, could you explain to them where we're from before we fill them in on the rest?"

Setsuna nodded, dabbing at her mouth with her napkin and setting it on her plate.

"Well, to put it simply, we are not from your world. We also live on Earth, but the world you live in and the world we live in are two separate parallel dimensions."

Her words left a deafening silence across the table, and she sort of cleared her throat while everyone tried to take in the information.

"Wait...this is so like a sci-fi movie I saw once," Duo said, taking a big gulp of water as she continued.

"Sadly, yes. Our enemy, Queen Andromache and her group, found a way to breech the walls separating the dimensions. You see, separate dimensions are called parallel for a reason. They must continue along in their own time-streams remaining parallel and never crossing. What the enemy has done had disobeyed the laws of time and space. This is far worse than moving through time alone, which we know can have catastrophic effects."

"So...we were never supposed to meet," Wufei deduced, and she nodded.

"I'm afraid so."

"How do you know so much about this? Why is the enemy after all of you?"

"Well," Makoto said, setting down her fork. "Setsuna is Sailor Pluto, Senshi of Time. She guards the gates of time, but was attacked and taken prisoner recently."

"They also took my time staff and wand," she said, sounding depressed. "I don't even want to think about the power they now possess."

The pilots exchanged glances, before Trowa spoke up.

"Heero and I heard Minako and Ami talking about being powerless. What does that mean?"

Both Minako and Ami glared at the clear invasion of privacy, but Rei spoke.

"We're all Senshi. Each one of us has her own powers. Do any of you remember the two women who showed up briefly when the house was attacked? The ones that shot attacks from their hands?"

Everyone nodded numbly, and Rei continued. "Those two were Makoto and Minako." Silence once again settled over the table.

"We each have different attacks," Minako said, hating the silence. "Makoto is Sailor Jupiter. Her attacks are mainly with lightning. I'm Sailor Venus, and my attacks are more energy based. Rei is Sailor Mars, and her element is fire. Ami is Sailor Mercury, and she has ice and water based attacks, but she, Rei, and Setsuna all had their wands stolen when they came here, so they can't transform. That's why we said they were powerless. There are also three other Senshi back in Tokyo."

The pilots let the information sink in. Duo was smiling, as was Quatre, who looked impressed. Heero's expression was unreadable as he glanced at Minako, who winked, and Wufei glanced over at Rei but admitted to nothing. Trowa glanced down at Ami, who gave him a tentative smile. The news had not seemed relieve him as she had hoped.

"What about these two?" Duo asked, pointing at Usagi and Mamoru. Both of them sort of looked away.

"Usagi is Sailor Moon, and Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen," Makoto supplied eagerly.

"I heard Setsuna call you both Prince and Princess," Duo informed.

Everyone at the table looked up.

"Well, in a way we all are," Usagi filled in nervously. "The girls are named after planets for a reason. Whether youd believe it or not, we all used to live in a time known as the Silver Millennium, a thousand years away from our present day Tokyo. To put it short, the Senshi all came to the moon to become a part of my court on the moon. Mamoru was Prince of Earth and we were soon to be betrothed. There was an enemy known as the Negaverse led by a woman named Beryl. She and her troops destroyed every Kingdome, coming to the moon and killing everyone else. My mother, the Queen, used her crystal to send us all one thousand years into the future to be reborn and have our powers awakened should any evil threaten our world. It did, and we had our powers awakened by our guardians. That was about five years ago, and we've had several new enemies emerge since then."

"Usagi and Mamoru will eventually rule the Earth," Ami explained. "We owe our allegiance to them."

"Unbelievable," Quatre commented, trying to put two and two together. "So you're all- reincarnations? How many times have you died? Just the one time, right?"

Everyone looked up, seemingly in thought.

"Um...three?" Minako guessed, thinking back.

Trowa dropped his glass.

"How do you all come back?" Heero asked.

"The silver crystal has brought us back. Usagi controls it. It really drains her, but she's done it," Ami explained.

"Crystal? That's the thing that flew out of your broach," Duo said, and Usagi nodded.

"I don't know why it chose to do that," Usagi said. "It is extremely powerful and sometimes difficult to understand. Maybe when Mamoru got shot, I was so scared that it sort of reacted to me fear."

"It's very possible," Mamoru said. "It used to react when it was in Rini's body like that."

All the Senshi at the table nodded.

"You all heal very quickly," Trowa commented. Everyone nodded.

"It's one of few perks, actually," Makoto said with a grin.

"It's amazing what I'll believe after the last few weeks," Wufei said, and Rei laughed.

"Enough about our story, if we keep talking we'll never finish filling you in. We want to know the truth about all of you."

"Well," Duo said. "We're the ex-Gundam Pilots."

Ami's mouth popped open, having been the only one to have done research when she first arrived.

"Those big machine things we saw pictures of in that secret room downstairs?" Minako questioned, blushing at how bad that sounded on their behalf.

Heero smirked and most everyone laughed.

"Right," Quatre said. "They were created to fight OZ, an organization against the Colonies and leaders of Earth. They're made of Gundanium Alloy and are strong. We didn't all realize we were fighting on the same side at first, but eventually teamed up for our goals. We each piloted a different Gundam. Mine was Sandrock, Duo's was Deathscythe, Heero's was Wing Zero, Trowa piloted Heavy arms and Wufei pilots Shenlong. The details of the war are pretty complicated, maybe we can talk about that later."

"We all met up during the war," Duo commented. "We can fill you in on all the individual stories later, and how we all got into fighting and all that later too, since it's pretty extensive. In the end though, once the war was over, we ended up destroying our Gundams. They were too dangerous to keep."

"We now work for the Preventers. They're a government group and we deal with some after-war issues," Quatre explained.

"That explains the guns," Minako commented, and Heero nodded.

"Wow, it's late! We talked for so long," Rei said, standing and beginning to clean up. Everyone stood as well, beginning to stack plates and clean up at the table first.

"Oh Ami," Usagi suddenly said, seemingly remembering something and looking up from the rice she was putting away. "We uh...stopped by your mom's funeral."

Ami froze, setting down what she had in her hand.

"They buried her this morning, in a big funeral for so many of the people killed in the attacks."

Ami nodded numbly. Of course they had buried her, she should have thought about the time. It wasn't why she was quiet though.

She was quiet out of guilt, because since the day after Minako and Rei had arrived, she hadn't thought once about her mother.

Usagi realized immediately she had hit a sore spot, even though she knew Ami would have wanted to know when she was buried.

"I...that's good," was all Ami said, picking up the plates she had momentarily neglected and heading into the kitchen first.

Everyone followed somewhat more quietly, and began to pack up the food and load the dishwasher as Makoto wiped the dining room table.

"When this is all over Ames, we can hold a little memorial service," Rei soothed from behind Ami, as she finished packing the last of the dishes in the dishwasher.

"That's fine," Ami said, her voice falsely upbeat.

"I know we haven't talked it over yet, everything's been moving so fast. We- we can talk," Rei attempted.

"Don't worry about it," Ami said, shaking her head. "I don't want to talk about it." She finally turned to glance at Rei, giving her a strained smile and walking away, back into the dining room to see if anything else needed to be done.

Rei seemed to want to say more, but held back. She knew Ami didn't want to talk about. Ami was the type of person who kept everything to herself.

* * *

Andromache frowned as she watched the scenes before her.

_Her _Trowa seemed to be quite upset at the idea of losing the water Senshi. Plus, now that the silver crystal had healed Setsuna, she had no worker on the inside.

It was time to temporarily shift her focus from attacking Tokyo and turn it to exterminating the Senshi, as well as capturing the pilots.

"Laycaon!"

Her voice echoed through the palace, and Laycaon came running in from the next room, practically collapsing in a kneeled position. She smirked.

"You're getting what you want."

He looked up at her, frowning slightly.

"My Queen?"

"Later tonight, we attack the estate. I need you to ready every youma possible. I also want you to bring with you the wands of Mercury, Mars and Pluto. We're going to use them as a...trade, if necessary. Plus, you seem to have developed a strong hate for the Mercury Senshi in the short two-weeks we have been attacking Tokyo. If I need you to attack her while I...claim something she has grown quite attached to, you must. Go and prepare."

He nodded and left, wondering if his Queen was thinking solely of herself with this attack.

* * *

Ami flinched, rubbing her face lightly and placing her hand over her eyes. She was in bed and had just been shaken from her sleep. She felt someone lightly touch her cheek, and sleepily realized that Minako must not have accidentally done it.

Blinking open her eyes, she muffled a scream when she realized that Trowa was crouched next to her bed.

He chuckled lightly, brushing her bangs from her face and placing a finger on his lips, ushering for her to be silent. She nodded, now more awake and gave him a questioning glance. His mood seemed to be greatly improved from earlier, and she had to admit she was feeling better too.

He ushered for her to follow him, and she nodded, climbing from her bed as quietly as possible and following him out of the room. The moon was full and bright, and she wondered what time it was.

Once she had stepped out the door and managed not to wake anyone in the room, Trowa pulled her quickly aside and further down the hall, away from all the bedrooms so as not to wake anyone.

"Is something wrong?" She whispered, stopping him and searching his face for any sign of worry. He shook his head, smiling at her, seemingly enthused about something.

"I just...I was thinking, and I had to talk to you right away," He whispered hurriedly. Ami nodded, trying to keep up with his enthusiasm so late at night. He sat down cross legged, and she sat close and across from him.

"I firstly should say that I'm sorry about the way I reacted today," he said quietly, but she shook her head.

"Don't worry, I feel the same, I'm sure it was shocking," she said, but he shook his head back.

"No Ami. I know I was angry and irrational, but that's exactly why I came to you. I've been thinking and I know why!" He whispered this part excitedly, and she smiled at his happy demeanor.

"See, at first I was so mad. I regretted all of the lies that had gone on the last two weeks, I regretted our actions, and I regretted that anything bad had happened to you. But there was one thing I didn't regret. See, if we'd never met, that would mean that we would never have to go through the troubles of finding each other and then having to lose each other."

Ami nodded at his words. She agreed with him, but it didn't seem that was his point. He sighed, seeming impatient, which was quite odd for him, and searching for the right words to express what he was trying to say.

"Ami, don't you see? Despite all the trouble we have and will go through, I could never regret meeting you."

His words lingered in the air a moment. Ami could feel her heart pounding quickly in her chest at every one of his words.

"I over-reacted today," he continued. "You have a whole other life in your dimension, and you have to go back and beat the enemy there. I understand that, but know that when you do go I will try everything possible to find a way to see you again."

Ami looked up at his excited face, into his suddenly bright eyes, and did the last thing her usually shy self would ever do.

She leaned forwards and placed a heated kiss on his lips, one which he responded to immediately, grabbing the sides of her face and deepening the kiss.

A crash shocked the two into tearing apart, and they both began to look around, seeing nothing.

"Come on," he said, standing and taking her hands to help her up. "Let's check it out."

While Ami wasn't exactly keen on "checking it out" in her nightgown, she nodded and followed him downstairs. Besides, if it was a youma attack, then there was no time to change. She glanced into the bedroom at the sleeping figures of Setsuna and Minako. Should she wake them? No, nothing was definite yet.

The two crept downstairs, lightly clasping hands as Trowa walked in front of her, searching the area.

"I don't see anything," he muttered, and the two turned around the corner of the hall, smacking into a couple of people, one of whom screamed.

"Usagi," Ami heard Mamoru reprimand lightly. "It's just Ames."

"Sorry," Usagi said, stepping forwards. "Since we're sleeping in the living room, we heard a crash."

"Us too," Trowa said.

Usagi and Mamoru stared between the two.

"From our two separate bedrooms of course," Ami said hurriedly, chuckling nervously. "A miracle it woke us both, really."

Mamoru laughed, and Usagi grinned at her.

"Well, either way, it sounded like it came from below us," Mamoru said.

"Below?" Ami and Trowa said together. They had thought it was just from the main floor.

"You don't think..." Ami began, Trowa nodding and continuing. "Someone...or something, is in the underground car lot."

A louder crash resounded through the hall, and this time it was clear that Trowa was right.

This crash awoke the remaining occupants of the house, who came running downstairs and out of their rooms.

"What was that?" Minako asked, Heero and Setsuna at the foot of the stairs with her.

"Did that come from the car lot?" Quatre's question travelled through the room, and everyone glanced over at the hall, where he stood with Wufei, Duo, Rei and Makoto.

"We think so," Ami replied, glancing around at her friends.

"Well then, we can't all go down," Makoto said firmly, stepping into the center of the group. "Only Minako, Usagi, Mamoru and I can transform."

"Right Mako," Usagi said. "We can't risk anyone else down there, especially if it's something we can take care of."

"Alright then, transform and let's go," Mamoru said.

Everyone being left behind wanted to object, but knew it was probably better not to. Anyone without powers would basically be in the way.

"Hold on," Duo said, still somewhat sleepy. "We can help, distract them or something."

"No Duo," Minako said, shaking her head. "If we do need your help though, we'll call you guys. Your weapons really don't do much good, and anything our friends can do will help with self-defense and nothing more."

Everyone reluctantly agreed since time was of the essence.

"Venus Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

"Moon Crystal Power!"

Tuxedo Kamen walked next to Quatre, now transformed and listening as Quatre quickly explained the general layout of the lot since they would probably be attacked by surprise.

* * *

The four ventured down the steps into the lot, and everyone stood upstairs somewhat impatiently.

Tuxedo Kamen walked in the lead, looking around the darkened lot. There were several cars but they could see nothing apart from the cars that had made the second crash. Two of them had been started and crashed into each other. Tuxedo Kamen shook his head immediately, realizing how expensive both cars looked.

"Do you see anything?" Sailor Moon whispered behind him, and he shook his head no.

The four heard the sound of a car revving up, and all began to look around wildly, before realizing a large black vehicle was coming at top speed in their directions. Everyone separated immediately, leaping in different directions with screams as the car smashed into the cement wall of the basement.

* * *

Upstairs, everyone jumped at the sound and the screams.

"What if they can't handle it?" Ami asked immediately, everyone standing around worriedly.

"We need to help at least distract them," Quatre said, and Heero nodded.

"Let's get everyone some guns. I don't know what's down there but you'll all need some form of defence," Heero said, quickly taking off into the basement room where they kept their extra weapons.

"We don't use guns," Rei said immediately.

"You do now," Wufei said, as Heero returned quick as lightning with some guns for the remaining Senshi, the pilots grabbing their own.

"Here Sets," Duo said, enjoying her nickname. He passed her a gun, and she nodded, accepting it gratefully. It wasn't going to do much, but anything was good entering the situation downstairs.

"We're going to check things out," Duo said, turning to the group and referring to himself and Setsuna. "You all catch up when you're ready." Setsuna nodded in agreement, worried that she hadn't heard any more noise from the lot.

"Rei, here," Wufei said, passing her a semi-automatic gun. She frowned at him and he shrugged.

"What, are you too weak to handle it?"

She glared. "I'm just fine, let's go after everyone else," she said, the two running off.

"We're ready too," Quatre said, he and Heero following close behind Rei and Wufei.

Trowa checked the bullets in his gun quickly and picked up one for Ami, passing it to her.

"Let's hurry; it's pretty quiet down there."

"I..." Ami froze, accepting the gun. In all honesty, she had never intended to hold one in her life.

"You scared?"

His question, accompanied by a knowing smirk, shook Ami from her stupor.

"No...I, let's go," she said, gripping the gun and following him. Trowa and Ami moved stealthily down the steps, met with total darkness downstairs. He tried the light switch and got nothing.

Descending quickly, they could hear shouts and car engines, as well as see some sparks as if from a Senshi's attack. A few gunshots and a shout were heard. Ami and Trowa immediately leaned back against the wall, trying to get their bearings of the room.

The two moved quietly and quickly away from the wall, passing by a few cars that were dark. Nothing was unusual about the area they were in.

* * *

Heero found Venus, hiding behind a red convertible. Her eyes were fear stricken, and she jumped slightly when he crouched next to her.

"What are you doing?" He muttered quietly, and she shook her head, trying to get him to be quiet.

"The...the cars," she barely whispered, and he had to lean very close to hear her.

"What are you talking about?"

Bright headlights suddenly blinded them, and Heero placed his hands in front of his eyes and stood, Venus also standing.

The car began to accelerate towards them, and Heero and Venus leapt aside as he shot at the windows, attempting to stop the driver. The car crashed into the convertible, and Heero approached the window, Venus at his heels, as he suddenly realized what she had been trying to tell him.

No one was driving the cars. They were moving on their own.

* * *

Jupiter dragged herself away from the wreckage to her right, trying to move her clearly broken leg. She had just barely avoided being killed, but hadn't been that lucky.

Feeling hands grabbing her arm, she jumped and pulled away, before sighing and realizing it was Quatre.

"That looks pretty bad," he commented worriedly, picking her up despite her protests and looking for a place to hide.

"Hey! We have to fight!"

"Fight what?" Quatre reasoned, shaking his head at her. "You can't even walk. Anyways, even if I let you attack our enemy, where are they? I can only see the cars. Until we find whoever is causing the cars to move, there's nothing we can do."

She nodded somewhat defeated at his reasoning. Perhaps some of the others had regrouped out of hitting range anyways.

Where to go though? Where were the rest of their friends, hiding?

* * *

Setsuna shook Duo, whom was knocked out cold. The two had been attacked by Andromache and Laycaon immediately after descending the steps. Wufei and Rei stood, guns drawn, in front of Setsuna and Duo, but behind Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. Rei glanced apprehensively at Wufei, and he nodded to assure her.

Facing Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon were none other than Queen Andromache and Laycaon themselves. The eight of them were no longer in the car lot, but standing at the top of the ramp leading out of the garage, away from everyone else.

"It really is a fair trade," Andromache was saying. "We're not asking much, Sailor Moon. Relinquish us the pilots, all five of them, and I will give you..." she paused, snapping her fingers. In front of her appeared Mercury, Mars and Pluto's transformation wands, all floating in the air before her.

"Some trade," Rei snapped, and Wufei smiled despite himself.

"Oh Mars, or should I say Rei, you must think," Andromache said in a superior tone. "Here you and your friends are, defenseless and powerless. I am generously offering you a chance at your powers, which really is a chance at life. For the five gentlemen, I offer an opportunity. They should be honored to have the chance to join my troops. I will give them a high ranking, everything. Don't forget," she became cross at this point. "You Senshi had your chance to join my troops and refused. I am more than kind in offering the same respect to your friends here rather than kill them."

"What you're offering is ridiculous," Sailor Moon stated angrily. "I will not trade people for my Senshi's power. Anyways, that power rightfully belongs to the Senshi, and therefore you are offering us nothing."

Queen Andromache laughed, Laycaon joining in.

"I'll tell you what then," she said. "You all take these three transformation wands. I'm going to go get what I want. I will get the pilots Sailor Moon, but priorities come first. Laycaon, you know what to do."

He nodded, both disappearing.

The three wands remained in the air, and Tuxedo Kamen grabbed them, turning to face the rest.

"What did she mean by that?" Rei asked worriedly. Tuxedo Kamen passed her and Setsuna their wands.

"Take note that she returned my wand but not my time staff," Setsuna said worriedly, tossing her hand into the air. "Pluto Crystal Power!"

Rei nodded, doing the same. "Mars Crystal Power!"

Wufei gasped as flames surrounded Rei, before leaving Sailor Mars in her place.

"I am so ready to kick some ass," she said, punching her fist into her palm. Duo began to come to, and Sailor Pluto knelt down to check on him.

"Sets? Wait!" He jumped to his feet, realization dawning on his face. "Cool! When did that happen?"

"We'll talk later," she said, "let's go help everyone."

At Pluto's words, the garage door opened. The group stood shakily, watching the large number of youma in awe and fear.

"Hey," Venus called, her and Heero running up besides her friends.

Quatre was only a few feet behind, carrying Jupiter.

"Oh my God," Jupiter breathed out, staring at the amount of youma before them.

* * *

Ami and Trowa heard a crash nearby, but were unsure of where the sound had come from. The two passed through a row of cars, confused. The area was totally still. They had seen wreckage of a black car, but weren't sure how it happened.

"Where is everyone? Did the fight get taken outside?" She whispered worriedly, and he shrugged.

"I don't know."

Several feet away, a lone figure stood before them.

"What is that?" Trowa whispered.

The person had a mask on half their face. At first, Ami thought it was Tuxedo Kamen, but realized the mask was on half of his face, not just his eyes. The person raised their hand, and Trowa realized a gun was in his hand.

"Duck!" A barrage of bullets followed this statement.

The two did so, and Ami and Trowa crept away on the ground. Trowa opened up the passenger side door of a car for Ami, who crawled in.

"Stay here and stay down," he whispered. "Shoot if you have to, okay? I'm going to go see if I can get the person who shot at us, or at least identify them. I don't remember your youma using guns."

He shut the passenger door quietly and crept away, searching the area for the strange masked shooter. His thoughts were very occupied and he knew why as he thought back to the conversation he had shared with Ami upstairs a few minutes before. His words had all been true and had clearly meant something to Ami, but he had held himself back.

Trowa had wanted to tell her he loved her.

She would have been scared off though- at least that was what he had told himself. It had afterall only been two weeks, and he was afraid she might get scared of how fast things had moved. What if his own feelings were mixed up?

Ami stayed down, sitting on the floor of the car besides the passenger seat and dashboard.

A trickling sound caught her ears, and she looked up, frowning. Water?

Glancing down at her hands, she noticed they were getting wet. Ami sat up with a gasp, climbing onto the passengers eat and trying to open the door. It locked.

She reached to unlock it, ignoring her shaking fingers, but it wouldn't budge. She leaned over to the driver's side with similar results.

Water began to pour into the car, trickling in from the edges of the windows and filling in from the bottom.

'This isn't happening,' Ami thought, kicking at the doors and banging on the windows. Water filled up past her shoulders, beginning to freeze over slightly as it filled. Ami banged on the front window, looking for anything strong enough to break the glass and in a panic now. Where was her gun? She couldn't find it now!

How long could she hold her breath?

The water filled up over her head, and it began to crackle with some energy as it froze quicker. She again tried to open the doors, trying to hold her breath as she shook. It felt like she was attacking herself with her own attacks, and momentarily pitied her enemy at the pain.

A few loud bangs followed by a crash brought Ami back to her senses, as water flooded from the front window of the car. Trowa had shot at the window a few times, before kicking in the glass.

He reached inside the front window, careful of the glass and hoping she hadn't been hurt by it as he pulled her shaking body out.

"What the hell happened?" He asked, staring at the car in shock. She shook violently, and he realized that not only was she wet but that she was more frozen than after their tumble in the lake.

"It's...it's like I was totally surrounded by one of my attacks," she breathed out, coughing and letting her head roll onto his shoulder tiredly. He gripped her closely, not knowing what to do to help her in their current situation. Ami was still only in her nightgown, she would freeze to death.

Andromache and Laycaon watched the two before them. Right now, the other Senshi had located Jupiter, Venus and their comrades, and were about to face a huge amount of troops- just outside the estate.

Andromache had planned it that way in her brilliance. The youma were told not to kill the pilots and keep their wounds minimal, since she could heal them if they weren't too injured once she captured them. The Senshi could be exterminated for all she cared. Her only issue was the apparent one. She wanted Trowa, and he was always at the side of the Mercury Senshi.

Even after her distraction, having Laycaon put that mask on his face and fire bullets at them to make Trowa suspicious, he had returned to find Ami quickly and saved the brat.

"The troops are fine for now," she told Laycaon. "Follow through with my plan. You leave Trowa to me."

Andromache didn't know why, but there was some thrill in the chase of Trowa. She wondered several things, like why he was so taken with the Mercury Senshi. Surely he would know to appreciate her, a very beautiful woman.

Laycaon stared at his Queen a moment. His Queen knew how much he adored her, yet usually paid him no mind since they had battles to think about. This time was no different, and inside he deeply desired taking his aggression out on Trowa and making him pay for what the Queen was doing to him. Trowa was surely the cause of his neglect by the Queen.

Of course, if he harmed Trowa, the Queen would kill him. Naturally, she had given him permission to do what he wished with the Mercury Senshi. Although he was only slightly angrier with the Mercury Senshi than the others, part of him wanted to do to her what he would have done to Trowa under different circumstances. Bringing harm to the Mercury Senshi would surely cause Trowa pain, and that was simply all the man deserved in Laycaon's mind for taking the affections of his Queen away.

Trowa stood, deciding to head upstairs to the main floor and get Ami warm before he looked for the others.

"Don't worry," she said, talking slightly above a whisper. "If this was similar to one of my attacks, the effects will wear off in a few minutes."

"How is that possible?" He asked, not really believing Ami and intent on getting her upstairs.

Before he could leave the car lot, a shout was heard.

"Hold it!"

He and Ami both turned to see Laycaon standing in front of them.

Trowa readied his gun, multitasking somehow as he was still holding Ami.

Laycaon smiled at the weapon, raising his right hand and placing a white mask over half his face.

Trowa and Ami both blanched, and he nodded.

"I must say, these toys of yours are fun if not effective," Laycaon commented as he dropped a gun to the floor.

"What do you want?" Trowa asked, getting right to the point.

"Sadly, it's not about what I want," Laycaon said, smirking and crossing his arms. "However, there are powers above my own that have shown a great deal of interest in you."

Trowa stared at the man before him a moment.

"Me? Why me?" Trowa asked. He thought it was about the Senshi.

"Don't get me wrong," Laycaon continued. "The Senshi are in for enough trouble in due time. You are currently being offered something very rare and exclusive. The Senshi rejected a similar offer, and that will be their downfall, so I suggest you think before you answer."

Ami shook her head, muttering to Trowa. "They must want you to join them."

"Keep quiet Mercury. I have to be civil to your boyfriend over here, but I can do whatever I want with you and you've given me no reason to be nice," Laycaon said, his anger finally shining through his calm exterior. Trowa unknowingly held Ami's shaking form closer, staring venemously at Laycaon.

"Thank you Laycaon, step aside," a voice said. Laycaon glanced over to his left, where his Queen had suddenly appeared.

Andromache stood before them, in a tight black dress that left little to the imagination and high heels. Her hair fell in long violet ringlets around her shoulders, framing a beautiful face. She held a confident smile and the first thing Ami and Trowa noticed was the small crown resting on her head.

Laycaon stood aside and let her stand in front of him, watching Ami and Trowa critically. If looks could kill, Ami would have been buried by the way the Queen was glaring at her. She stared back, not liking how the scenario was unfolding one bit. The two were defenseless.

Andromache turned her attention back to Trowa, a smile taking over her face as she watched him.

"You have indeed been very brave, pilot," she drawled, "You and your friends are skilled."

He stared back at her wordlessly, trying to think of every exit from the basement he could and coming up short with a way to get there quickly.

"What I am about to offer is indeed exclusive, as Laycaon mentioned. Join me, with the rest of the pilots. I can give you more power than you have ever dreamed about and the highest ranking of my men as a special reward for you."

Laycaon growled slightly from next to the Queen but said nothing.

"No," Trowa said simply, watching her smile fade.

"It is as I expected," she snapped, shrugging as if it meant nothing to her. "But here's my take on the matter. You two are here- alone. If I catch you, Trowa Barton, you're mine."

At her words, Laycaon raised his hands and threw a small flame at the two. They dropped to the floor and separated, Trowa moving towards her to grab her as the Queen approached. Ami stopped him.

"I'm holding you back. Let me go hide, and you run!"

"No," he argued, and she shook her head.

"I can barely walk, let alone fight her! If she catches you, she'll brainwash you and use you to attack Tokyo! Run, try to find our friends if you can for protection but otherwise keep away from her!"

Ami knew she was right. He couldn't save himself and her, she was slowing him down.

At her words, Trowa disagreed but had a different idea. He grabbed Ami and took off into the darkened lot.

Andromache and Laycaon followed at a regular pace, trying to see where they had run off to.

Trowa quietly opened the door to a backseat of a car, setting Ami down on the ground beneath seat to make sure she was well hidden. Although still shaking, she was becoming more alert by the second, and glanced up at him as he pulled a tiny gun from his pocket and placed it in her hands.

"Use this if he finds you, it'll at least slow him down. If there's any trouble, scream as loud as you possibly can so me or one of the others hears you."

Ami nodded tiredly, gripping the gun the best she could.

"Good, now go! Find the others and keep far away from Andromache!" He nodded at her urgency, leaning forwards and placing a kiss on her forehead, looking reluctant to leave her.

"Stay safe," he warned, quietly closing the door and leaving Ami in the dark.

Ami laid perfectly still. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest at Trowa's very innocent kiss to her forehead, and despite her urging him to leave she felt confused and alone. Her chest felt heavy and her thoughts focused soley on his safety.

What scared Ami more, was that she suddenly knew exactly why she felt this way. 'I...I can't believe I'm even thinking this after two weeks,' she thought to herself, horrified at the idea of how quickly she had fallen.

'I think I love him.'

* * *

He crept away from the car, moving slowly and quietly through the lot. He could hear some shouts as he got closer and closer to the ramp leading up to the garage, and decided that was his best bet.

As soon as he began to move away from the car he was behind, a figure stood in his way. Andromache stood before him, hands at her hips and smiling. Trowa slowly stood, watching her with distaste and raising his gun.

"Ah, alone at last," she cooed, before glancing with an annoyed look at Laycaon, who seemed pissed about something particular.

"Leave us, go find the girl."

Laycaon growled but nodded, heading off into the dark lot.

Trowa glanced up at the woman before him.

"Does this mean that you're coming willingly?" She asked this somewhat seductively, and Trowa frowned at her.

His response was to quickly remove the safety of his gun and shoot Andromache in the face.

She screamed, grabbing her cheek directly beneath her eye.

"You were aiming at my eye! Just like what you did to Laycaon! You could have injured my beautiful face!"

"My aim is usually better," he responded as he took off running, and Andromache stopped yelling and began to follow.

"Despite my anger darling, I'll put it all aside once I have you," she sang, enjoying the chase but reminding herself not to let him leave the garage and get help from the battling Senshi and pilots.

* * *

Laycaon meanwhile moved from car to car, peering inside and continuing. Normally, he would have blasted every car, but he didn't want to make enough noise that Mercury left her hiding spot and got away.

Ami tensed from where she lay, gripping the gun and trying to quiet her heavy breathing. Laycaon was surely only a few cars away; she could hear his footsteps growing closer.

The front door of the car she was in suddenly opened, and Ami bit down on her hand to keep quiet, hoping the darkness would hide her.

Laycaon peered around the front of the car, seeing nothing unusual. He paused to listen a moment, before smiling. It was quiet, but he could feel the presence of the Mercury Senshi in the car, a positive power he possessed.

He shut the door of the driver's side and sat down, hoping it would muffle some of her screams.

Ami readied her gun when he did this. He knew she was there, he had to.

Laycaon slung his arm over the passenger seat, before turning and looking down into the backseat. To his surprise, the Mercury Senshi was staring right at him, gun raised.

"Well well, you are smart," he said, but was cut off when she fired right at his curious face.

He shouted angrily, touching the small spot where the bullet had drawn blood, right above his eyebrow.

"Smart, but with bad aim," he said, leaping onto the backseat as she tried to sit up and grab for the door handle. He snapped his fingers, and the car locked, him snatching her gun before she could blink and throwing it into the front.

Ami opened her mouth to scream but he grabbed her face, covering her mouth and pulling her up slightly.

"You're such a pest," he commented, staring at her shaking form with no pity. The car filling with water had been exactly as she had described, a variation of one of her attacks he had attempted. Temporarily, it had worked, and she was still soaked and freezing, but had recovered drastically fast. He thought for a moment about his Queen and Trowa, anger filling him.

She placed her hands on his, trying to pry them off her face and mouth.

"Quit moving," he said, sounding annoyed and actually just angered that his thoughts had been interrupted. He glanced down at her body, seeing that she was still on the floor of the car and half-leaned against the car door. Raising his right leg, he brought his foot down on her stomach with all of his might, keeping his hand firmly over her mouth to muffle her scream and watching her hands drop to her stomach.

Feeling moisture on the hand holding her mouth, he released her immediately, letting her fall fully against the door. Blood leaked from the side of her mouth and it had gotten on his hand.

Disgusted, he wiped the blood on her nightgown, tipping his head at the contrast of the red on the white.

She groaned slightly, and he smirked. Perhaps that water-attack had done some damage; he doubted she could walk. She was pretty helpless right now. Humans were so weak.

Reaching over, he grabbed a lock of her hair and moved it from her face, grabbing her chin and staring at her. She looked away, feeling disgusted with herself for not being able to do more.

"What does that pilot see in you that fascinates him so?" He asked the question, but was not looking for an answer. He looked down at her body. Her soaked nightgown clung to her every curve, and he stared at her a moment longer before shaking his head.

"Surely your body pleases him as it would any man, although you usually hide it underneath layers of clothes. Why the extra attention?"

Ami glanced around the car, trying to keep herself calm and figure a way out of the situation. If she freaked out she would just endanger herself more.

"My Queen clearly has a thing for your pilot, although I can't see why. I am clearly more appealing, and have been her faithful servant for years. Yet she chooses a man she's been watching fight me for two weeks instead." Laycaon shook his head. "Women are so selfish. You could offer them everything you had and they would still look for something better."

Ami glanced up at him in confusion, and Laycaon realized he was wasting his limited time complaining about his personal life rather than finishing his plan, which was to make her suffer.

"Now, before I commence with my planned torture I need you to realize that anything I do to you now will simply be out of hate for your pilot. None of the other Senshi have been targeted directly you see, because my Queen is not ignoring me for the other pilots. No matter how much I..." he glanced down at her prone body again before continuing,"...enjoy myself, remember that only he is to blame."

Ami began to shake out of fear rather than the cold now, as ideas of what exactly Laycaon had in mind began to take over her thoughts.

* * *

Quatre held Jupiter's unconscious form in his arms, keeping as far from the battle as possible. They had definitely been unprepared for the amount of youma outside, and since Jupiter's leg was broken she had been an easy target from the beginning. Sailor Pluto was bleeding heavily from her stomach, and Duo's right arm was clearly broken as he attempted to fire at a few youma with his left. The two were next to Quatre and Jupiter.

Wufei was crouched in front of the four of them, his gun drawn. He could have used his katana, but had opted to stay a safe distance from the youma anyways. Plus, these youma were weaker, and some of the ones that had been kept in the front of the line were susceptible to bullet wounds.

Before him, Mars readied an attack at a few charging youma, and Wufei shot at them to keep them back a few necessary seconds.

"Mars flame sniper!"

She shot something like an arrow of fire at the youma, destroying the five of them on impact just as they neared the group.

"Close call," he snorted from behind her. She glared.

"If you haven't noticed, we're all a bit drained!"

Venus and Heero stood back to back.

They were totally encircled by youma, but had worked out a sort of system, moving in sync with each other. The two were turning around, Heero firing at the youma on his side to slow them while Venus attacked the youma on her side, killing them. Then they would turn, and she would kill the youma stunned by Heero and he would stun the youma behind the ones she had just killed.

"Wow, look at Venus and Heero," Tuxedo Mask pointed out, dodging a blow by a youma to his right. From where Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask fended off youma, they were quite impressed at the immediate teamwork and strategy Venus and Heero had shown their first time fighting together.

Needing a quick attack in the fast-paced battle, Sailor Moon had been using her tiara. It could only cut down one youma at a time, but her other attacks took too much time to use on the ever-approaching youma.

The youma began to close in on Mars, Wufei, Pluto, Duo, Quatre and Jupiter, who was still out cold.

"Oh God," Mars said, seeing no way she could fend off all the youma. Wufei stood, standing next to her.

"In light of the fact that we're about to die- it was good knowing you onna."

Mars glanced at him, feeling tears build in her eyes. It couldn't be over, she had a lot of life left in her. Plus, she would have to make sure Wufei survived so that she could remind him of his words in a later argument they would surely have.

Wufei watched her eyes, seeing her shaking slightly and thinking she was going soft on him, before he realized her body was covered with a thin red glow.

"Rei," he said, shock lacing his voice before she let out a scream. The youma stood back, suddenly afraid, before she straightened her back, eyes determined.

"Rampant Inferno!"

The glow around her body intensified, and Wufei leapt back as uncontrollable flames left her hands and billowed into the youma, spreading within seconds and destroying almost all of the youma in the surrounding area.

Everyone else who was fighting looked up, especially the remaining youma who had horror written across their faces.

Mars remained standing for only a moment after that. Wufei noticed her beginning to slump, and rushed to catch her, making it right on time. He walked over to where Quatre, Jupiter, Pluto, and Duo were. All but the unconscious Jupiter stared with wide eyes at the now unconscious Mars.

Wufei, in his shock, said nothing.

Duo of course couldn't keep quiet.

"Damn!"

The remaining youma began to fall back, stepping as far away from the Senshi as possible and looking at each other for an answer on what to do.

Venus, Heero, Moon and Tuxedo Kamen came running over to join their friends, smirking at the cowering youma.

"Unbelievable, just like Neptune," Sailor Moon said, before continuing. "Where are Ami and Trowa?"

* * *

Andromache glanced up from where she stood over Trowa. He was still conscious even though she had been forced to rough him up a bit- only after he had kicked her in the face and shot at her a few more times.

She could feel how many of her troops were killed- she just knew.

"Enough playing around," she said. Snapping her fingers, Trowa's body lifted into the air and he gasped.

"Amazing, I know," she said dryly, "Now off with you. Back to my lair." She snapped her fingers again and he disappeared. Nodding in approval, she walked out of the garage. Trowa had been very close to reaching his friends, although it would have done him no good.

The Senshi, pilots, and even her youma jumped when she walked in front of them. She first turned her attention to her youma.

"You snivelling cowards!"

She snapped her fingers, and all the youma disappeared.

She turned to glance at the rest.

"Pilots, I tire of this game. It will be only too easy to make you come with me. Anyways, you can join your friend Trowa in my lair," she said.

"What did you do to him?" Quatre demanded.

"Don't worry about him, he'll be fine," she said. "Worry about yourselves."

"Wait, where's Ami?" Venus asked.

"The Mercury Senshi?" Andromache looked up in thought, before waving her hand at the garage uninterestedly. "Somewhere off with Laycaon."

Everyone who was sitting or crouched began to look physically sick at this statement. Andromache sighed, annoyed.

With a snap of her finger, all of the pilots began to float into the air.

"Hey," Sailor Pluto said, weakly trying to grab at Duo while holding her stomach.

"Stop," Venus shouted, latching onto Heero's hand.

Heero looked too shocked to be floating to do much but try and grab back.

"Don't bother trying to save them now Senshi. At least know that they won't be hurt in my lair. It seems to also be your lucky night, since my snivelling youma couldn't even kill any of you." She also floated into the air, and added as an afterthought. "If you see Laycaon, tell him he's late and we're all gone." With a final snap of her fingers, Andromache and the four pilots disappeared.

"Where'd they go!" Venus shouted.

The Senshi were shocked, to say the least, before remembering Laycaon and Mercury.

"Watch Mars and Jupiter a second, Pluto. We'll be back to carry you three inside and tend to your stomach," Sailor Moon said, trying to stay calm as they ran into the garage and down the ramp leading into the lot. Sailor Venus was crying, but only sped up at the thought of losing Ami as well as Heero.

* * *

Laycaon laughed as Ami attempted to kick him away. He was basically sitting on top of her at this point, and leaving her no opportunity to get away.

She attempted to scream again, and he once again covered her mouth.

"That's the fourth time you've screamed since I warned you," he said, shaking his head and giving a small smirk. "I punched you the first time, kicked you the second, smacked you the third and yet you persist. We really aren't getting anywhere right now, and your compliance would make things much easier on me."

Ami shook her head stubbornly, knowing that despite him hitting her each time, the moment her friends began searching for her the screams would show them where to look.

Luckily, her screams and general un-compliance had managed to stop Laycaon as of yet from doing anything other than hit her, and Ami preferred any physical pain over what Laycaon had in mind.

"You're slowing me on purpose. If you'd rather I beat you into a bloody mess, it can be arranged, but only after I'm finished."

He reached his hand close to her chest and she smacked it away. He laughed. "I've gotta say, you're making this too fun. I like it when women play hard to get, I mean Andromache has played this game with me for years."

He released his hand from her mouth and grabbed her hands, pinning them by her face as she glared at him.

"You've also grown more feisty as time has gone on in this car," he grinned, and leaned close to her ear, whispering.

"Don't worry, I'll pretend you're Andromache the whole time. When I go back to the lair though, I will enjoy telling your pilot all about it."

Ami tried not to let his words get to her as she continued to think fast. Seeing her opportunity, Ami kneed Laycaon in the groin as hard as she could with his weight on top of her.

He let out a shout, beginning to cuss profusely.

"You bitch! I shouldn't have waited so long to have you, but trust me the wait is over!"

He punched Ami out of anger in her stomach, the same spot he had kicked her in before, and she screamed and turned as more blood poured from her mouth.

The three wandering amongst the cars heard a scream and shout, and began to run to the area they had heard it.

Laycaon began to pull at Ami's gown with fumbling hands, trying to lift it despite her continuous screaming and thrashing.

The three arrived at the car and Sailor Moon tried to pull at the door.

"It's locked!"

"Stand back," Tuxedo Kamen said, angrier than he had been in a very long time. He pulled out his cane and smashed the back left window with it.

Laycaon looked up, stopping his assault a moment as Tuxedo Kamen reached into the car. He grabbed Laycaon from the back of his shirt and dragged him through the glass of the small window with incredible strength, throwing him against the car behind them.

Laycaon struggled to his feet, still shocked at the strength exhibited, before being smacked in the face just as he turned by the cane, falling back against the car.

Venus was also equally pissed as she readied an attack.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The attack hit him head on and Laycaon fell to the floor.

Tuxedo Kamen grabbed him by his shirt and hoisted him to his feet, shoving his battered back against the car again.

"That's the incredible strength of our enemy?" Tuxedo Kamen demanded angrily.

Laycaon met his angry eyes briefly, and snapped his fingers, disappearing from his grip.

Tuxedo Kamen kicked the car in front of him with anger, and Venus ran to the opposite car, him following.

Sailor Moon had reached in past the glass and opened the car door. Ami was already sitting up, trying to climb onto the seat or out the door.

"Ami!" She leapt into the car and helped her friend up. Ami was still wet, and her face was bruised from what seemed to be a couple of bad hits. Blood leaked down the side of her mouth, but otherwise she seemed shaken up.

She helped Ami out of the car, gasping when she collapsed, unable to stand on her own. Apparently, she was injured besides the obvious. Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon crouched down next to her.

Tuxedo Kamen approached, the angry look having left his eyes as he crouched down next to the other two, forcing Ami to look at him and fearful of what he was about to hear.

"He...he didn't?"

Ami shook her head. "You all have great timing," she said quietly, not going into any details. Despite how shaken up she was, everyone visibly relaxed.

"We'll talk later, nearly is near enough," Venus said, her eyes hardening at the thought.

Ami noticed her tear-streaked face.

"Where is everyone?"

"Sailor Mars and Jupiter are injured and unconscious outside. Pluto is conscious but hurt pretty bad," Sailor Moon said. Ami waited expectantly for her to continue, but she didn't, and Ami figured it out pretty quick as she began to cry.

They were gone.

The Sun began to rise, and Sailor Moon vaguely reminded herself that it was Christmas Eve morning.

"Let's- let's get the others, carry Ami inside first," she told Tuxedo Kamen. He stared at her a moment, her voice older and more tired than it had ever been.

"Right," he said numbly, picking up the still sobbing and shaking Ami and heading towards the stairs, the other two heading out the garage door.

If the grimmness of their situation had not yet set in, it would abruptly now.

* * *

Depressing, I know. That's all what I've got for ya for now, lol. What will happen next? Hmmm... you must review to find out!


	10. On the Brink

Hey all, thanks for your reviews. I really appreciate the feedback, ideas, and helpful comments I have been given. Without further ado, Chapter 10

* * *

Chapter 10

Trowa groaned, getting to his knees slowly. He had been lying on cold cement ground, unconscious although he wasn't sure how long. When his vision cleared, he realized he was in a cell of some sort.

It was dark, but he could make out the bodies of the other pilots lying around the room.

Crawling over to the nearest one, Wufei, he shook him.

Wufei awoke almost immediately, glancing up at him with confusion for only a split-second before realizing what had happened to them.

"Get up," he said gruffly, still tired as he lightly kicked Duo's side. Duo stretched, sighing and yawning.

"Why are you in my room?"

"We're not in your room, Maxwell. We're in some God-forsaken cell at an enemy base in a parallel dimension!" At Wufei's tone, Duo leapt to his feet, realizing he hadn't dreamt the past night.

From the shouting, Heero and Quatre awoke, realizing immediately what had happened. The five grouped together, trying to think of a plan.

"There must be a way to outsmart them. They'll have to open the door sometime, since they want to use us in their battles," Wufei said.

"Yes, but even if we escape, where will we be running to? If we are in the other dimension, we wouldn't know where to go. Plus, this lair could be really far from any city," Quatre reasoned.

"We have to do something," Heero said. "They know we won't help them willingly."

"Ami told me they'd brainwash us if we were caught," Trowa said.

"Shoot, I wonder how the girls are?" Duo said suddenly at the mention of Ami's name. "Setsuna's stomach was hurt pretty badly."

"They all were," Heero agreed, the four of them suddenly glancing at Trowa. He had been worried about Ami from before, but their gazes indicated a problem.

"Where was Ami before you last left her?" Wufei asked. Trowa frowned.

"She was badly injured. She begged me to leave her to go get you guys and the Senshi. Said she'd slow me down, since Andromache was after me and she didn't think we could outrun her. I refused, but I hid her and gave her a gun and came to find you all for help but Andromache found me first," Trowa said, staring between them. "Did you hear something else?" He began to panic slightly, his tone changing.

"Just that before we left, Andromache told Sailor Moon that Ami was 'somewhere off with Laycaon.' She didn't specify and I'm sure whoever was conscious went looking for her," Quatre said, frowning.

Trowa looked more pissed than anyone of them had ever seen, but before anymore could be said a taunting voice floated into the room.

"We had a good time."

Laycaon stood at the doors to the cell, arms crossed and smirking. He looked a little beat up, but otherwise overly smug.

Trowa stood and approached the bars of the cell, the others next to him as the five stared at Laycaon, only a couple of feet between them.

Laycaon snickered at Trowa's outraged face, glancing around the room and continuing.

"Well, what I mean to say is that I had a good time. I didn't know just how entertaining your friend could be. We laughed, we cried- again I mean I laughed, she cried..." Laycaon's voice faded, his smile broadening. Trowa could feel himself shaking. Laycaon noticed and laughed, continuing his taunt with a light air to his voice, as if chatting with a friend.

"I mean at first, I couldn't see what you found so appealing about the Mercury Senshi. But last night, I couldn't understand why she chooses to keep that body hidden under so much clothing. I would personally recommend that she wear only that nightgown, preferably wet like yesterday, all the time. It really does wonders for her." Laycaon stepped closer to the bars of the cell, wrapping his arms around two of the bars and bringing his face closer to Trowa's face as he spoke. "The best part of it was, I'm stronger than her on a normal basis, and yesterday she was hurt and totally defenseless! But be careful though, she's a feisty one. A little loud, wouldn't stop screaming until we were found. It was quite enticing actually, although I had to give her a few really good hits to shut her up. No worries though, apart from the internal bleeding she's fine."

Before Laycaon could blink, Trowa had moved forwards and punched him the cheek with all of his might, his hands unclasping the bars as he tumbled to the ground.

Laycaon rubbed his cheek thoughtfully a moment, before laughing. "I must have really pissed you off, because that actually hurt a little. Like I keep saying, you're lucky I'm not allowed to take my anger out on you. It's too bad for Ami though, I'm pissed and part two is coming soon, plus I'm sort of looking forward to it."

"Shut up you asshole!" It was Duo who shouted this, as Quatre tried to keep Trowa slightly restrained from next to him. Wufei looked pissed as well, and Heero was calmly searching for his gun, although he was pretty sure that had been taken from him while he was unconscious.

Trowa approached the bars again, glaring at Laycaon. "You...you didn't..."

"Maybe yes, maybe no...It's really a gamble on how fast your friends found her, although they were pre-occupied for quite some time." He shrugged. "I honestly want the question to plaque you as you try to eat and sleep the next little while."

"Laycaon, away from the cells! My potion is not ready and I can't have you torturing my new men. Come help me prepare."

Andromache's voice floated into the room, and Laycaon grew still, glaring at them one last time and leaving.

"Right away, my Queen," he said, heading into the darkness and out of sight.

The pilots stood awkwardly around the cell, not knowing what to do.

"I'm sure it's fine. Ami's tough, she probably fought him off," Duo offered, not sure how much he believed his own words as Trowa leaned against the wall and sank to the ground, grabbing his hair in a frustrated manner.

"I told you before, she was injured! She couldn't even walk," Trowa snapped, looking away.

"That man is a weakling," Wufei commented from where he had also sat down. "No honor, and she considers him the best of her men."

"He didn't do it, he's just baiting you," Heero said, attempting to stay calm even if none of his friends did. "If he had raped her, he would have said it and not been so vague."

Everyone seemed to be considering what he had said, lost in their thoughts.

Quatre seemed to be in a negative mood, saying nothing. Trowa glanced over at him, and he shook his head.

"You think..." Trowa began.

"I don't know what I think," Quatre said. "I'm just bothered by the fact that she couldn't walk. How could she run away?"

Silence reigned over the group.

"I can't believe I left her," Trowa stated, his voice lifeless as he stared blankly at the wall opposite of him.

"You did what you thought was best," Heero stated from where he sat in his typical monotone.

Duo glanced up at him. "You're not at all bothered?"

"I-"

Trowa cut him off. "What is wrong with you? You didn't even flinch when he was talking!"

Surprised at the sudden outburst, everyone glanced over at Trowa.

"You've let the situation in the past couple of weeks change you," Heero stated. "In battle you must-"

"In battle," Trowa repeated, staring at him. "I don't see any battle going on right at this moment Heero. In fact, there wasn't that much going on at the house until the last couple of days. If I recall, after you self-destructed your Gundam you told me something important. You quoted Odin Lowe, telling me that while it is important to be emotionless on the battle-field, it's okay to show your emotions off of it, that everyone should. You don't live by that in the slightest."

Heero grew silent, glaring at Trowa, before moving to the opposite side of the cell and situating himself against the wall and leaning back, keeping cool.

"Heero," Duo called, but Heero held up his hand and sat down far away.

"Trust me, you'd prefer this to my other idea."

Duo sighed, but knew that what Trowa had said had probably really made Heero think about the last few weeks, and left him alone.

"I think...I mean, it's Christmas Eve, isn't it," Quatre said, Duo nodding.

"This sucks."

* * *

Setsuna stood with much pain, groaning as she grabbed the wall. Rei ran over to her, helping her stand and moving her to a different seat in the room, near Usagi and Mamoru.

It had been about five hours since the Sun had begun to rise and everyone was now conscious and sitting in the living room, bleary eyed and frustrated.

The house was quiet.

Makoto was in the kitchen, making everyone some sandwiches since no one even wanted to eat.

Usagi sat leaned against Mamoru, both silent and tired. He was playing with a few locks of her hair, and she was strumming her fingers on his knee, completely at a loss of what they should all be doing.

Rei was now sitting in front of the fireplace in the room, trying to figure out how to get home or where the enemy lair was.

Minako was sitting on the couch next to Ami, glancing over every few minutes at her.

The Senshi had all been beaten pretty badly after the battle with all of the youma. They hadn't discussed Rei's unusual show of power or how it was similar to Neptune. They hadn't discussed any reasonable plan of action. They hadn't even discussed any of the battle and what had happened before the pilots were taken. They had only entered the house, patched everyone up, cried and sat.

"Ames," Minako said quietly from next to her.

Ami did not look at her, knowing she wanted details of some kind.

Minako had helped Ami with her injuries, having realized she had taken repeated blows in her stomach region that had caused the blood to come from her mouth, and also that her face had taken a few good hits. Ami hadn't even told her about why she was soaked and shaking as if she had taken a second tumble in the lake.

"Ami," Minako said, slightly more sharply. Ami turned to look at her. Her transformation wand, which Mamoru had returned to her with no explanation as to why Andromache had done them the favor, was on the seat of the couch next to her.

Makoto entered the silent room, placing the dish of sandwiches on the table and leaning against a make-shift crutch. Minako leapt to her feet to help her.

"Sorry Mako, just relax, that leg is bad," she offered.

Makoto shrugged. "It'll be healed by tomorrow."

Setsuna reached over and grabbed a sandwich, chewing it thoughtfully and grimacing slightly as she grabbed her stomach a moment.

"In all seriousness, we should all talk. It could help us to get home and get them back," she commented.

Rei stood from the fire, having gotten nothing, and sat on the floor by the table, taking a sandwich and passing a couple to Usagi & Mamoru. Minako grabbed herself and Ami one as Makoto made herself comfortable next to Rei, also helping herself.

"I don't see how we could. We're back to square one, and now we've endangered the lives of our generous friends," Makoto said, knowing she sounded angry but worried about Quatre.

"There must be a way," Setsuna murmured. "If only I had my time staff, what a difference that alone would make."

"There's nothing you can do right now without it?" Mamoru asked, and she shook her head.

"Ami," Usagi said, attempting to try to get the girl to speak since Minako had given up for a few minutes.

"What?" Ami asked, her sandwich untouched and looking grim. She met Usagi's briefly, before looking away.

"I know your upset," Usagi said, "but we're worried. Please, you don't have to tell us everything, just help us understand; give us some of the main points that happened with you and Trowa before he disappeared. Tell us why you were soaked as if you had taken another fall in a frozen lake- anything."

Ami shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I know, but trust me, it'll help you a lot," Usagi reasoned.

"No," Ami said, glancing up at her and starting to get mad.

"Come on Ames," Minako tried.

"No, no, no!"

Ami was usually very level headed, rarely angered, and Usagi was taken aback.

"Ami," Minako said, turning to her side to face Ami, who was seated next to her. "You have to talk to us! You've kept every bad thing from the last couple of weeks bottled up! A lot of awful things have happened! It's not healthy! You're constantly on edge! I cannot even think about you going into battle with so much stress on your shoulders!"

"I told you I don't want to," Ami said, standing abruptly. "If you all know me so well, then know that I need my space. That's who I am. I can't talk about things that bother me. Give me a few hours to cool off, and I'll be fine. That way, I'll leave the topic in the back of my mind and move on to something new. It's how I deal with things. If my messed up behavior doesn't please you, then I'll cool off in the next room, okay Mina?"

"Ami," Rei said, standing as well. "Don't leave the room! You're making things harder on yourself, can't you see that?"

"No, you're making things hard on me! I consider you all my family, you should know me! I'm _shy_, if you haven't noticed, and going into detail about..." Ami trailed off, looking disgusted, before picking up. "About _that,_ bothers me. I can't think straight right now, I'm angry and if I can't think straight then I can't talk to you! I told you, you guys were there on time, you stopped the worst of it, so I'm sorry but that's all I'm going to say!"

"Ami," Makoto and Setsuna called, but she ignored them, turning and heading from the room as fast as her injuries allowed her.

Usagi felt tears burning at her eyes and she looked down, hurriedly wiping them. Rei glanced over and met her eyes, but simply gave her an encouraging smile.

Makoto shook her head, running a hand through her hair, not styled in her usual pony tail.

"This is awful," she said. "I honestly want to strangle Laycaon with my bare hands right now."

"Makoto, keep in mind how the revenge works. It's a cycle, and its victims are sometimes undeserving," Setsuna said calmly, shaking her head. "You must go into battle with a clear head. Fight for the good of all, not the bad of a few." Makoto nodded at Setsuna's words, trying and failing to release some of the hate she had for the new enemy.

"Well someone should go after her," Rei said.

"She wants to be alone," Minako said, now lying on the couch somewhat guiltily since she had inadvertently upset her friend.

"You meant well," Rei told Minako, "we all understand."

"Ami doesn't. She's right. We know her personality and we still kept bothering her to tell us," Usagi said.

"Well, I refuse to believe Ami's mad at you guys," Mamoru said reasonably. "In fact, I bet that yelling at all of you right now probably helped her let out some pent up anger. Just let her be alone a while, it's what she wants."

"Maybe," Rei agreed. "It sure helps me."

Usagi and Makoto smirked slightly, agreeing and speaking quietly in unison. "True."

Rei glanced up at them in warning but said nothing.

Mamoru stood, rubbing his temple. "I need Tylenol."

He headed into the kitchen and began to rummage through the cupboards, lost in thought. The Senshi were all like his sisters, apart from Usagi. When he had seen Laycaon on top of Ami in the car, he had felt anger rising within him like he didn't know he had. It was probably that adrenaline rush that had given him the strength to grab Laycaon and throw him out of the car like that.

Finding the Tylenol, he grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the fridge, popping the pills into his mouth and beginning to quickly drink it. He vaguely wondered whether Minako, Rei, Makoto or God-forbid even Usagi would have disclosed any details had they been in Ami's situation. Surely, it was easier to stand on the outside wanting to help than have to deal with the details of it all. Not that any of the girls had meant to upset her. They loved each other and only wanted the best for each other.

He set his glass on the counter with a dull thud, staring outside the window a moment.

How could they possibly get home now?

A small sound reached his ears and he stopped, listening closely. Again, he heard it, and followed the sound, heading into the dining room attached to the kitchen.

Apparently, Ami hadn't had the strength to go far. She had hidden from them a few rooms away, sitting leaned against the dining room wall and well obscured by the table and china cabinet had he not been looking past the obvious. Her arms were around her knees and her head was rested on her arms, obscuring her face. She was clearly crying.

Mamoru wanted to enter the room and get her but stopped himself, seeing hypocrisy in his actions. He had after all just told the girls to let Ami be alone a minute ago.

She suddenly glanced up and noticed him, stiffening and shaking her head. He stepped back immediately. "Sorry Ames, I'll let you be alone."

His statement did not stop her tears and he mentally slapped himself. He was acting like she was a stranger or something. Ami turned away, hiding her face and wiping at her tears.

Cautiously stepping into the room, he walked around the table and crouched down next her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She glanced up at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"I don't want to talk," she said quickly.

He nodded at her. "We won't," he promised.

"I don't want anyone pitying me either," she said, and he sort of chuckled at her typical behavior, suddenly realizing that with time she'd be just fine.

"We'd never," he agreed, and she smiled, wiping at her tears some more.

"I have to go apologize to everyone," she said, beginning to stand. "I can't believe I yelled at them." He stood and helped her up.

"Don't worry, they're not mad. They love you, they were just concerned," he said, and she nodded, trying to stop her tears in vain.

"Good, because I'm suddenly starving," she said, and he laughed.

"Then we'd better hurry before Usagi eats your sandwich," he said, and she nodded, smiling at him.

"Thanks Mamoru."

He wrapped her in a hug, shaking his head.

"Don't thank me," he said. "Let's just get you some food."

The two entered the living room, and everyone looked up.

Ami's cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were still watery. Minako looked up tentatively from where she lay, beginning to sit up before Ami flew over to her, wrapping her in a crushing hug. Minako hugged back fiercely.

"Sorry," Ami said, and Minako shook her head, allowing a few tears to escape her eyes as well.

"No, for what? I'm the one who kept pushing you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Ami said, releasing her and sending an apologetic smile to everyone else.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you all."

She was met with several apologetic and accepting phrases, and shook her head, smiling despite her tears.

"Ami, Usagi actually is eating your sandwich," Mamoru said, shock lining his bemused voice that his joke was a reality. Said girl looked up with a sheepish grin.

Usagi laughed as Ami leapt on her, the two pulling at the sandwich and tearing it in half.

The tension left the room, as the group could finally think straight and make plans on how to save their friends.

* * *

"Oh God, I'm so hungry," Duo groaned from where he laid several hour later.

"Your whining makes it more unbearable Maxwell," Wufei corrected, leaned against the wall grumpily.

"What are they waiting for? To starve us to death?" Quatre questioned.

"No pilot," a voice said. "I didn't want you to starve at all."

Heero stood and approached from the back of the room, Trowa also on his feet and standing next to him, their differences seemingly forgotten.

The other three followed, facing the woman standing before them beyond the bars of the cell.

"My potion wasn't ready," she explained, flipping her hair behind her back. "You see, it must be taken on an empty stomach, and if I fed you while you waited then it would have been ineffective."

"Potion?" Trowa questioned, stepping forwards. "Ami mentioned-"

Andromache glowered immediately, stepping into the light and now visible to all occupants of the cell.

"Don't mention _her _name, or I'll have Laycaon get her again out of sheer jealousy on my behalf," she spat out, before smiling. "Anyways, you'll soon forget all about her."

Andromache snapped her fingers, and about twenty of her minions appeared behind her. One of them stepped forwards, holding a tray with five test tubes on it. It was passed to Andromache. The liquid within them was black and still bubbling slightly, making Quatre kind of sick as he eyed them.

"I'd ask your cooperation," she said, grinning broadly. "However I doubt you will agree."

She again snapped her fingers, and the twenty from outside the cell suddenly appeared inside, four of them each leaping on and holding down one pilot.

Once they were reasonably restrained, she entered the cell and smirked. She approached Trowa first, smiling at him sweetly.

"I can't wait for you any longer," she explained, crouching down to eye-level with him. "I'm not a very patient woman, as you can tell."

Taking one of the glass tubes from the tray, she instructed the youma to have him sit up slightly. With some effort, they managed.

"Open up," she said flatly.

What would happen to him once he drank it? Would he no longer know his old life? Would he forget Ami?

Trowa pressed his lips together tightly, and she frowned. Nudging her head slightly, one of the youma restraining him forced his mouth open.

Before anymore objections could be made, she poured the liquid down his throat. Trowa began to cough and attempted to throw up the vile liquid now inside of him.

"Stop him!"

More youma leapt upon him, holding him down a few minutes until the liquid began to take effect and he passed out.

"Good, now for the rest of them," she said, turning to look at the rest of the pilots. The remaining pilots glanced at each other and Trowa's prone body, suddenly incredibly worried.

* * *

Later that day, after everyone had discussed their many options, everyone at dinner and was seated in the living room.

"Let's get some fresh air," Makoto suggested. "Just outside the door, we'll stand around, we all need it I think," she commented, leaning on her crutch looking bored.

"I agree with that," Rei said, standing.

"I think I could use that as well, if someone would help me," Setsuna offered. Usagi headed over to her, and she smiled at her.

Ami headed upstairs and grabbed a few jackets and sweaters for everyone, bounding down quickly and passing them out.

Everyone trumped outside into a fresh layer of snow. The sun was beginning to set and Ami tipped her head back to view the different colors of the sky.

"Hey," Minako said suddenly, also staring at the sky. "Is that…do I see-"

She stepped forwards, eyes wide, Ami also looking disbelieving at the site. "Is that a portal?" Ami asked.

Setsuna gasped, stepping forwards and stumbling from Usagi's grasp as Mamoru grabbed her to stop her from falling.

"No!" Setsuna wailed, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

In the sky, about 10 feet up, was a small gated portal much like the ones Laycaon had opened countless times.

"W-wait," Rei said. "Does that mean Laycaon's around here?"

Setsuna shook her head, everyone spinning to look at her.

"Setsuna, this is good, they forgot to close the portal," Makoto reasoned, as Setsuna began to shake her head.

"It's a- a tear," Setsuna said with a gasp, and everyone frowned at her.

"A tear," Usagi repeated slowly.

"Yes," Setsuna said. "Don't you remember? I told you when Ami was sent here that this disobeys the laws of time space, and that my reaching over and plucking her out could cause a lot of trouble as well. This is why!" Setsuna was hysterical.

"Sets," Ami said, "Let's go inside, you can explain."

They did so immediately, everyone sitting on the couches and eyeing the clearly upset time Senshi warily.

"Alright," she said, calming herself slightly. "Our dimensions are parallel, right? To put it simply, when I said that the enemy couldn't send too many people across, I was serious. Each time people travel back and forth, the parallel lines come closer together. Yesterday, Laycaon and Andromache sent a huge number of youma across. It must have been far too many because that means that in this exact spot the two parallel dimensions come into contact before continuing in their normal stream. They've literally created a permanent tear in time-space."

Everyone sat silently at her words, beginning to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Are- will you be in trouble for that?" Usagi asked tentatively.

Setsuna stood without any help.

"Not if we find a way to seal of both entrances to the portal. We have to go home to Tokyo and save the Gundam Pilots and the city. Then, when Quatre comes back here he must build a heavily secured area around the portal, like we must do on its receiving end in Tokyo."

"Sets," Makoto said suddenly. "I can see why you're upset, but if everything comes out okay and we can guard both portals then it's sort of a plus."

Everyone stared at her a moment, realizing what she meant.

If they survived the final battle for Tokyo and brought the pilots home, entrusting only them to care for their side and the Senshi to care for their own, then they could see each other again.

"Not to mention, this solves our problem of being stuck in this dimension," Rei said, seemingly energized. "Let's get a ladder or something and go home!"

Everyone leapt to their feet at the thought and Setsuna nodded.

"Don't worry Sets," Usagi said. "We'll help you with this tear-thing. You won't have to deal with it on your own."

Setsuna smiled.

"Alright then. Let's lock up Quatre's estate, collect any of our belongings, however few, and go home."

"Home- that sounds so good," Ami said, her heart soaring at the thought. She could finally go home, and there was a good chance she'd be able to see Trowa when it was all over!

Everyone got their transformation wands and changed into the clothes they had arrived in, cleaning up quickly and as best as they could and locking up the house, bringing a ladder outside.

"How will we hide the gate until we can come back here with Quatre?" Mamoru asked, staring at the small portal ten feet above them.

"Well, there really is no way," Setsuna said reluctantly. "However, this is a very sparse area. Quatre's estate is on a huge property of his own. The chances of anyone finding it in the next few days are slim, plus there's a large tree about five feet away that will obscure it from the street should anyone with very good sight drive by. The last person to climb up the ladder must kick it down to the ground so that no one sees the ladder." Everyone nodded.

"Alright, who's going first?" Usagi asked. Ami stepped forwards, compelled to see home very badly. Everyone smiled and she chuckled slightly.

"Okay Ames, be careful," Rei said warily. "This end of the portal is in the sky, there's no guarantee the other side isn't, since Laycaon conjured it in several places back home."

"Let's see," Setsuna said. "Laycaon created the portal the first time at the park, the second time downtown, the third time at the temple, and the fourth time…" She turned to look at Usagi and Mamoru. "Where were you when he sent you here?"

"The temple as well. We had gone over to lie to Rei's grandfather and tell him Rei would be gone a few days, having suddenly gone to see a sick friend or something," Usagi said. "Laycaon had attacked us outside the temple, beneath the steps."

"Don't forget that he conjured a portal about a billion times from their lair, wherever that is," Minako said.

"Okay, so it could be any one of those five places," Ami murmured. "I wonder where."

She began to climb the ladder, Mamoru steadying it. When she reached the top of the ladder, Ami's had to stand on her tip-toes to reach inside the portal.

She instead toppled in with an "oof" and heard everyone gasp as she fell, landing on her behind. She laughed slightly, looking around and smiling. The portal only opened about three feet from the ground- underneath a bunch of cherry blossom trees in the backyard of the temple.

Her friends were steadily climbing from the portal, some being helped, like Makoto and Setsuna. All of their faces were revealing the same delight Ami's was as they realized where they were.

"This is so perfect," Usagi said as Mamoru came out, kicking the ladder behind him and being dragged through laughing.

"I can hide the portal here Setsuna," Rei said excitedly. "We can build something secured around it and watch it, allowing access for ourselves if need be."

Setsuna agreed. "I am quite pleased at the outcome. Now though," she spun to face the rest of the group. "Time is of the essence and I know you all must get to your families first. All of you can head home for now and take care of your personal matters. I'll call the outers and arrange a meeting for around 2:00 tonight. We must get organized before the enemy attacks again."

Rei seemed so happy to be at the temple and was excited to get through the doors.

"Sets," Makoto said. "Come with me and Mina to our apartment. You can rest there and call the outers from there. Actually, can we do the meeting there as well?"

It made sense, since it was solely Makoto and Minako's apartment, and everyone departed, Minako speaking.

"Thank God I moved in with you Mako, my parents would have been watching me like a hawk for trying to come to that meeting."

"Ami," Rei said, "You're welcome to stay and spend the afternoon."

"Well thanks," Ami said quickly, knowing why she was offering. "But I really need to get home and sort things out."

Rei smiled at her. "Well I'll be here all afternoon."

"Hey Ames, you're walking me and Mamoru's way and we luckily were here before being sent there, so his car is here," Usagi said excitedly, dragging her along.

"I guess that's good, it's getting dark," Ami said, checking her watch, which read 6:00.

"Fine," Mako said, "let the two injured girls walk."

Usagi laughed at her. "You live down the street Mako! But I wish you, Minako and Setsuna a lovely walk home."

With those words she dashed down the steps and to the car, laughing when she realized Ami and Mamoru had stopped to help Makoto and Setsuna down the large steps.

It was so good to be home.

* * *

Ami waved to Usagi and Mamoru as she entered her apartment building, relief washing over her. Two weeks had felt like a year. She hurried up the steps, taking the four flights in a couple of minutes and rounding the corner to her apartment door excitedly. She froze as the door came into view.

Several pots of flowers, ranging in size were blocking her door and some of the hall. She approached timidly, reality smacking her in the face as she crouched down by the flowers, seeing numerous names of her mother's colleagues and close friends, all with attached letters expressing their apologies. The largest looked big enough to display at a funeral, with the words "Our Sincerest Condolences" written across the front. This one had been sent by the hospital her mother worked at.

She reached her shaking hand underneath the doormat, finding a spare key and unlocking the apartment door, being met with darkness.

She flicked on the lights and stepped inside and over the plants, shutting and locking her door. The answering machine was beeping, and she headed there first, pushing the blinking button.

"Mailbox is full," the automated voice said, causing Ami to wonder just how many messages she had as it began to play. Several people were expressing their apologies as Ami headed into her room, suddenly very tired. She wasn't surprised to see that her desk drawer and dresser drawers were open and had been rifled through. Her mother had probably been searching for a clue to where Ami had disappeared before she had gone to declare her missing. The thought made Ami ill.

Leaving her room, she headed past her mothers. Neat as always. Ami didn't realize that she was crying until she felt the tears drop onto her hands. She quickly closed her mother's door, deciding it was easier to forever keep it closed than to sort through her mothers personal possessions.

She headed into the kitchen and turned on the light, sitting down on a stool at the counter and trying to clear her head.

The funeral arrangements were finished according to Usagi.

She would have to find out where her mother was buried and visit.

Also, what about her financial situation? There was certainly no need to worry. She knew her mother had left everything in her name, and would probably have enough saved up for Ami to live comfortably until she finished university.

'Next week I'll meet with someone at the bank to make sure everything is going to transfer to my name smoothly, I'm sure there's a message from them among the countless others,' Ami thought, running a hand through her hair.

She headed to the living room and sat on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Ami had always felt rather lonely in her apartment, since her mother's schedule had often been the opposite of hers. The apartment though, had never felt all that empty since she was used to being alone. Why then, did the apartment feel so empty now?

Her thoughts travelled to Trowa and she bit her lip, already crying and not wanting to think the worst of his situation too. Surely he had been brainwashed, Andromache wanted him. Ami grew disgusted at the thought. While brainwashed, would he…want Andromache? Ami didn't consider herself the type to get jealous, but….she had just realized she possibly loved him the previous night, and Andromache was relentless. What if something had happened to him and the rest of the guys? It was too much to think about.

* * *

She soon drifted off to sleep, and was awakened only by the phone ringing. Climbing to her feet, she sleepily headed over, only vaguely aware she was still in the same outfit and had slept on the couch.

"Hello?"

"Ami! Are you alright?" It was Minako speaking, and Ami glanced over at the clock. 2:23.

She jumped. "S-sorry Minako, I fell asleep almost as soon as I got in," she explained hurriedly. Minako sighed, relieved.

"That's okay Ames, we were just worried. Mamoru said he'd come pick you up since it's so dark and you have a long walk ahead of you."

"Um…okay. Thank him for me," Ami offered, "bye."

She rushed into her room, changing into a new pair of jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt. Heading to the bathroom, she washed her face voice of tear-stains and freshened up before a knock was heard at the door.

Checking first, she opened it and blinked up at Mamoru, who was staring at the wide assortment of flowers.

"Hey," she said simply and he jumped and laughed.

"Sorry," he apologized, as Ami stepped out over the flowers and locked the door.

"No I'm sorry, I can't believe I fell asleep," she said, beginning down the steps. "It's so unlike me. But thanks for the ride, I feel bad troubling you to come back over here."

"It's no problem Ames. Um…what are you going to do about the flowers?"

"I- I don't know," she said. "I didn't expect to find them all at my door. What do people usually do?"

"Well, like you said, they're not usually sent and piled up at a person's front door," he said, glancing back behind him as the two descended the steps.

They arrived at Makoto's apartment about ten minutes later, heading upstairs. Before they reached the door the two could hear a lot of talking, and it was a bit loud for that time of night. Mamoru made a note to himself to tell them to quiet down lest someone call the police.

Ami opened the door, Mamoru at her heels, intent on apologizing for her lateness. Mamoru shut the door and the two turned at the sudden silence.

Before she could step from the door she was pounced on by Hotaru.

"Ami! I'm glad you're alright!"

Ami laughed lightly, hugging her. Hotaru was now fourteen, the same age that she and the girls had been when they first became Senshi.

"It's good to see you Hotaru," she said, smiling at Michiru and Haruka, who stood just behind the girl. Both hugged her and Michiru paused to mutter something in her ear.

"I heard there's a man from that dimension who's quite taken with you." Ami blushed slightly, and Haruka leaned over past Michiru, adding her two cents.

"When this is all over, we'll have to check him out for you."

"Please don't," Ami said, trying to conceal her blush and laughing slightly.

Artemis pounced on Ami's shoulder, yawning. "It's good to see you Ami, even at this time of night." Luna quickly bounded over as well from where she sat with Rei and Usagi, and Ami crouched down to pick her up.

"Hey Luna," she greeted as the black cat smiled.

"Good to have you back Ames. I'm sure you're quite sick of hearing it- but I'm very sorry about your mother."

Ami smiled timidly, not having been too upset that anyone else had yet to bring it up.

"Yes Ami, sorry for your loss," Michiru said, Haruka nodded.

"Thank you all," Ami said, hoping to get off the topic. "I'm sorry I'm late. Have I missed much?"

Taking the hint, everyone headed to different seats across the living room, and Ami situated herself on the floor, eagerly helping herself to one of Makoto's cookies.

"We were basically just learning about the dimension you were all in Ames," Haruka said, as everyone nodded.

"There really weren't any attacks in Tokyo once Usagi and Mamoru were tossed into the gate," Luna observed.

Ami nodded. "Yes, they had temporarily switched their focus to us at that point."

"What I'd like to discuss are those incredible power upgrades Rei and Michiru had," Artemis commented, leaping onto Minako's shoulder.

"Yes," Setsuna said. "Those are fascinating. There's a lot of raw power there, and it's only occurred when they were both incredibly stressed or upset."

"True," Makoto said. "They seem like new attacks, but they take so much energy out of the Senshi that uses them. I doubt we could master them very quickly if we each exhibited the same raw power."

"Well it seems sort of like an emergency card," Usagi commented thoughtfully. "Deadly, but rarely necessary."

"Especially since they drain so much energy," Rei said.

"Well, I wonder what it would take for the rest of us to have that happen?" Minako asked. "Plus, we don't even know that we'll all exhibit those powers before the end of this war, or even if Rei and Michiru will be able to re-create those powers."

"That's true. I was pretty upset the first time, and it took so much out of me that I thought I was going to die for a second there," Michiru said, Rei nodding in agreement.

"Where do you think the enemy base is?" Ami said suddenly. Everyone glanced at one another, all coming up blank.

"I wish we had the slightest idea," Mamoru offered, and Ami shook her head, she and Makoto sharing a worried glance while Luna and Artemis handed out new communicators to anyone who had lost them the past two weeks.

* * *

Andromache leaned forwards with anticipation on her throne.

"You've prepared them, Laycaon, and prepped them on my strategies?" She inquired this lightly, although she was actually quite impatient to see them.

"I have, my Queen."

Laycaon's voice was not proud, pleased, or even attempting to sound civil. He sounded angry and jealous. A smile curved at her lips, and she nodded, leaning back.

"Bring my new men in."

A moment later, six figures entered the room. Laycaon stood a bit off to the side of the five, looking perturbed.

The five Gundam pilots stood before her. All were dressed as her other men would, in dark uniforms. She smiled wider, but cleared her throat.

"To whom do you owe your allegiance?"

"To you, Queen Andromache," the five chorused lifelessly. She nodded, snapping her fingers. A few youma appeared, all carrying weapons.

"I have taken items I believe you all can use, and….modified them, if you will." She turned to look at Laycaon, and he approached. "Do they remember anything?"

He shook his head. "They were thoroughly questioned. All believe that they came from the same place as you and I and their friendship. This potion of yours has given them quite an ego as well. They thought they could boss me around."

Her youma had, meanwhile given them all a couple of guns, and Wufei a sword and gun.

"Trowa, step forwards," she announced as he was tucking away his weapons. He did so and bowed, raising his head to meet her eyes.

She smiled and nodded. "You are now my right hand. You are my second-in-command. These five skilled men behind you are in charge of youma and attacks. You however, are the man they must come to before they give a major order, and if need be you must consult me."

Laycaon's mouth dropped open and he began to protest. "My Queen! These men have hardly proven themselves worthy! Now you give this nothing a spot ahead of me?"

She frowned. "Laycaon, I believe you were given many opportunities to prove your leadership skills and failed. You are no better than my newer recruits. Don't even think of bossing any one of them around."

"We wouldn't take it," Heero said stiffly from where he stood, eyeing Laycaon in an unimpressed manner. Laycaon glowered but nodded, stepping back amongst the men.

Andromache laughed.

"Good. Now gentleman, you know the plan. We attack Tokyo today, and I need to see what you all can do. You must be skilled and also lead the masses of youma. I plan to take Tokyo in no more than a few days. All of you may go rest until then…" she paused, but spoke when Trowa turned to leave as well. "Actually Trowa, you and I need to strategize, so stay behind."

He nodded, and Laycaon fumed as he left the room.

Andromache descended from her throne seductively, standing before Trowa expectantly.

"Do you know why I made you my second-in-command?" She asked.

"I have a pretty good idea," he said, smirking slightly. She grinned, bringing her hand to his face.

"Good. You'll soon come to realize that I always get what I want," she said, bringing her face close to his ear as she said this.

"Your first priority is Tokyo," he said, just as close to her face.

"True," she said, not stepping away. "After we seize the city, we'll have time for other things. However, I'd love a preview."

An instant later, her lips were against his.

* * *

Duo set his guns down on the table in their joined quarter's kitchen, stretching and lazing back in his chair.

"Our Queen seems pretty taken with Tro-man," he said flippantly.

"That is an unnecessary distraction," Heero said, fiddling with his new gun uninterestedly.

"Maybe we'll finally have a King," Wufei said from where he sat, not wanting to outright insult the Queen.

"I should be King," Laycaon said darkly from where he stood by the fridge. Everyone scoffed at him and continued with their conversation.

Quatre chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "I'm so ready for this battle."

Trowa entered the room a minute later, grabbing a bottle of water and frowning slightly at the looks he was receiving. Duo was winking, Quatre was smirking, Laycaon was glowering, and Heero and Wufei were staring at him critically.

"So," Laycaon said flippantly, edging away from the fridge and staring Trowa down. "How was the strategizing?"

"Fine," Trowa said nondescriptly with a shrug. "Anything else?"

Laycaon's lip twitched slightly, but he shook his head. If he questioned him anymore, Trowa would pull his rank and he would be punished.

"Good," Trowa said, taking a seat next to Quatre and opening his water.

* * *

"Merry Christmas Ames," a voice said timidly from where she lay. Everyone had tried to convince Ami to spend the night after the meeting, seeing that she would wake up all alone on Christmas morning. She had declined Rei and Usagi's offers, not wanting to intrude on their families. She had eventually allowed Makoto and Minako to talk her into spending the night at their place. Setsuna, not being able to go to the time gates without a time key or her staff, had gone home with Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru the night before.

"You're already here Ames," had been Makoto's reasoning. "Plus, it'll be more fun for me and Minako."

Ami sat up tiredly, stretching and staring at Minako, who stood at her door.

"Merry Christmas," she said warmly. "What time is it?"

"Eleven. I didn't expect us to be up an earlier after how late we went to sleep. Makoto made a nice breakfast for the three of us," Minako explained as Ami climbed out of the bed she had shared with Makoto the night before, now aware she was alone.

"Makoto shouldn't be making anything, what about her leg?" Ami asked tiredly, and Minako waved her hand.

"It might as well be healed. She's walking without her crutch and just limping a bit."

"That's good to hear," Ami said, heading into the bathroom and washing her face, noticing the bruises on it had faded dramatically. Makoto limped in with an extra toothbrush, and Ami laughed.

"Sorry Mako, just relax. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you as well," Makoto said cheerily. "Come on, I made us fattening chocolate-chip pancakes."

"Okay," Ami said brightly, washing up quickly to head over to the kitchen.

The three sat around the counter on stools, munching on the pancakes and keeping the topics they discussed light and uncomplicated. This was absolutely necessary.

It was true that the situation had improved greatly now that they had found a way home, but with the stress of Trowa's capture and her mother's death now more close than ever. Mamoru had also lost his parents young and sadly lived in an orphanage, Rei losing her mom but luckily having her grandfather. Ami knew that since Makoto had lost her parents as a child, she would readily speak to her about it, but Ami was not a child and knew she would have to deal with the pain her own way to get past it.

"Let's- let's take a walk around town after breakfast," Makoto suggested suddenly. "It'll be fun and relaxing."

"But Mako, your leg-"Ami began.

"No problem, it barely hurts, I've had a day and a half for it to heal!"

Minako chuckled, but nodded. "Yeah Mako, that's so long."

"Well, whatever. We'll have to work off the delicious fatness of my pancakes anyways or else when we get attacked we won't be able to jump away very far."

Minako and Ami laughed, Makoto joining in with them a second later,

The three walked slowly down the street, all clad in jackets, gloves, and scarves. Ami wrapped her jacket tighter around herself. It wasn't that chilly compared to England in the other dimension, but the wind had a cold bite to it. They were near downtown, but away from most of the establishments and closer to the park and the university, just pacing on the sidewalk and idly chatting.

"Hey girls," a voice before them said. The three looked to the street and saw Andrew in his car next to them. He pulled the car over and climbed out, coming to hug the girls.

"Merry Christmas," he greeted. "Did you all disappear for a while or something?"

Ami chuckled nervously. "Finals were tough."

He nodded. "I bet, well I just wanted to say hi. Tell Usagi and Mamoru the same too, I have to get to my mom's house for Christmas."

"Bye Andrew, Merry Christmas," all three chorused.

He got in his car and drove off, and the three continued silently on their walk.

"I can't help but wonder if the guys are alright," Minako confessed a few minutes later, staring straight ahead. "We just met them and now they're all in danger."

"I hope so," Makoto said slowly. "Andromache wanted them to join her team. If she brainwashed them….I don't know," Makoto finished hurriedly, not wanting to think about it. Ami glanced over at Makoto, her thoughts consumed with fear. 'They're worried,' she thought. 'They're trying to keep strong for me but they're both scared and worried.' The fact that the two of them were more worried than they had let on scared Ami, and she felt bad that they had been putting on an act for her.

"It'll be fine," Ami said, stopping and staring at the two. Both looked at her, surprised. "It's really hard now," she confessed. "But when we do finally get through this, we'll be stronger for it." Although she wouldn't have believed her own words the day before, saying it reinforced her.

Losing a loved one would always be hard, but it changed Ami's view on how precious life was.

Dealing with the tough stuff in their lives, like the fighting and attacks and responsibility was difficult- but to change these vital factors would be to change who they were as people. Ami had sometimes considered her powers to be a curse, and knew that her friends at one point or another had probably thought the same thing. At the end of the day though, it was always okay. She knew that, and her friends knew that. It was all worth it.

"I'm impressed Ames," Minako offered, Makoto nodding.

"Since you're feeling refreshed then," Makoto said, her tone changing. "I should probably suggest something. Every Christmas I visit my parents' graves. I wasn't going to bring it up at all, since to be honest Ames I didn't think you could handle it. I think that I should give Usagi a call and make sure they buried your mother at the same cemetery my parents are at. If that's the case, we'll get some flowers and go."

Ami stared at her a moment, realizing that she had to go to her mom's grave and say goodbye. It would be tough, but she had to, if only to be at peace with herself.

"Mako," Minako said, passing Makoto her cell phone. "Go ahead and call Usagi, we'll be in that flower shop across the street buying the flowers."

Makoto nodded, and the two crossed the street and entered the shop.

Minako selected a large bouquet of colorful assorted flowers for Makoto. "She always brings these. She says they make her happy," Minako explained. Ami nodded, looking around the room. Her favorite flowers were lilies, and she suspected her mother shared that love since whenever she put flowers around the house they were usually lilies.

The employee working, a teenage girl, helped put together a beautiful bouquet, and the two of them thanked her and paid, heading back across the street.

Makoto waved, thanking Minako for getting the flowers.

"Usagi says Merry Christmas. It is the same cemetery, and it's only a few blocks from here."

Ami nodded, lost in her own thoughts. Within ten minutes, they had arrived, and stopped at the graves of Makoto's parents.

Makoto set down the flowers, smiling at the two gravestones and bowing her head in a silent prayer. Ami and Minako stood back to give her some privacy.

Having lost her parents at a young age, Makoto honestly couldn't remember too much about them, although she wished she could. She did find it important to pay them the respect that they deserved, and usually stopped by a couple of times a month, more than that if she found the time.

Makoto stood, nodding to herself, and turned to her friends.

"Thanks guys, now Usagi said your mom was buried somewhere over…….here. She said it a fresh grave." Makoto froze as she entered the area she had described, sighing. Since so many people had been killed, the new part of the cemetery was covered in fresh graves, and there were a lot of people visiting.

"Shoot, I hope they at least put her name somewhere until they make the gravestone," Makoto murmured as the three walked carefully amongst the graves, growing sad as they realized how much unnecessary pain Andromache's attacks had caused in Tokyo. Mothers, fathers, and children had all been lost, and many families gathered around graves praying and weeping.

"Ames! Right here I think," Minako called from several feet away.

Her mother had been buried under a large tree, and Ami took note of it immediately so that she would be able to remember where the grave was. Since the tombstone had yet to be made, it would have been hard to identify the grave had a woman from her mother's work not been so kind as to have a small plaque engraved and set it among the flowers. Minako had great eyes. It read "In loving memory of Aiko Mizuno, blessed friend and mother."

Ami kneeled next to the grave, setting down the immaculate white flowers and staring at them a second, not knowing what to say or do.

"Since….since you couldn't make the funeral, maybe you should just say a prayer for her," Makoto said timidly from behind her and Ami nodded.

"Right," she said, her voice sounding hollow. She began to shake, Minako and Makoto realizing she was crying before she even did, since they both crouched next to her, Minako taking her hands and Makoto holding her shoulders.

She knew why she was crying, and it didn't need to be said to her friends. After living a lie for the past five years, leaving that big gap between herself and her mother, she felt entirely responsible for her death.

"If you have anything to say to her, say it," Minako said solidly, and Ami glanced at her through her tears.

"It'll bother you," Makoto said. Ami glanced between the two. They wanted her to- to talk to her grave?

"She's listening Ames, trust me," Minako said. "A lot of people talk to their passed loved ones at their graves. It's not weird."

Ami nodded numbly, turning back to the grave.

"Hey mom," she said stiffly, Minako and Makoto standing and backing away to give her some space. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry……I'm sorry I was never home…..sorry I lied to you…..I guess you know why I did it now," she said, clearing her throat slightly and continuing. "It's all my fault you were downtown that day. Had I just been there for you, you wouldn't have gone to declare me missing and gotten killed." Ami cried more at this point, and tried to control the flow of tears. "I wish I knew what more to say to you……just know that when I lied to you my intentions were always for your own good. I love you and I miss you….." she let her words drift away at this point, before shaking her head. "Good bye."

With Makoto's assistance, she stood, and the three stared at the grave a minute longer, Ami muttering a prayer, before they left. Ami wiped at her tears as they exited the gate of the cemetery.

"Thanks you guys, that was good for me."

"Anytime Ames," both chorused as three made their way down the street.

Before they were a block away, screams reached their ears. The three, standing at the corner, to turned to look.

"No," Makoto said, angrily stepping forwards. "No, they _are not_ attacking the cemetery."

They were.

"Senshi! Come out to play," a voice they all recognized called from the graveyard.

The three gasped, running towards the cemetery gate and knowing exactly who they were going to find there.

* * *

Who was it? Hmm….review to find out, lol, I'm evil! But to be fair this is the worst it gets when I leave cliffhangers, and the first one of the story….plus way more action in next chapter!


	11. Chaos in Tokyo

Last Time:

"_No," Makoto said, angrily stepping forwards. "No, they __are not__ attacking the cemetery."_

_They were._

"_Senshi! Come out to play," a voice they all recognized called from the graveyard._

_The three gasped, running towards the cemetery gate and knowing exactly who they were going to find there._

* * *

Chapter 11

Amid the chaos of the cemetery, a solitary figure stood floating above the rest. He was grinning widely at the three girls who stood, mouths agape, beneath the entrance to the cemetery gate.

"Who might you three be? Can't you see what's happening? It's absolute chaos over here and yet you choose to come," Duo stated quite calmly, landing on the ground and walking at an almost unnervingly average pace towards them, as if he were out for a stroll.

"Duo," Makoto stated, unable to find any words to form the many questions on her mind. "What did they do to you?" His hair was in its usual braid and he was wearing black, not at all unusual for him, but his voice was different when he was angry and his eyes held a mean glint.

"How do you know my name?" He seemed shocked at her words, the smile fading from his face immediately.

"What do you mean?" Minako asked, frowning and stepping back as he began to advance on the three of them.

"How do you know my name?" He repeated, looking more intimidating than Ami had ever seen. "You mortals may call me Shinigami and pray that I spare your pathetic lives. My youma would have taken you out in an instant."

"You know, I've never heard the name Duo," Ami said quickly. "My friend was just referring to the duo behind you, a couple of friends of ours. We'll just be on our way." She cursed at her own bad pun immediately, however it was good for a second.

Duo averted his gaze only a moment, the three girls immediately running from the entrance so they could transform and not get blasted to death on the spot.

They ducked behind the brick wall and readied their wands as Ami began to despair. Where were the others? Had they all been brainwashed like Duo? At that moment, the sweet man that had befriended every one of them was no longer. His eyes gave him away.

"Venus Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

Shaking from her stupor, Ami also transformed. "Mercury Crystal Power!"

"Where did you three go?" Duo's now angry voice called to them by the gate.

"What do we do? We can't attack him," Venus said, pushing a button on her communicator and receiving no response. She heaved a sigh. The other Senshi were probably already fighting. Merry Christmas to all...

"Try and avoid him for now, just get the youma that are attacking the people," Mercury warned.

"And be careful not to defile any graves with your attacks!" Jupiter added, the three standing and leaping over the short wall and into the field. Duo looked stumped and then angry as he connected the dots between the Senshi and the three strange girls.

'It's clearly going to be a long day,' Mercury thought as she attacked a youma ready to slash a small child scrambling away next to a grave.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

The attack smacked the youma head on, disintegrating it on contact.

Mercury ran forwards and grabbed the child, a young boy that was probably only four, looking around the cemetery.

Many of the people had luckily fled, but there were still some people being protected by Venus on one side, and Jupiter was standing before a weeping woman facing Duo and a youma.

Mercury glanced down at the fear-gripped child in her arms and realized he was probably the son of one of the people being protected by the others.

She turned to rush over, first to aid Jupiter who was in more of a mess than Venus currently was.

"Hold it," a cool voice said from behind her. She froze, her worst fear overtaking her as she turned to face who had spoken to her.

Trowa stood, arms crossed and looking quite disinterested as he eyed her and the boy. Feeling Trowa's gaze on him, the boy turned, shaking and avoiding his gaze as he directed his eyes at Sailor Mercury. He looked almost the same as normal, only he was dressed in all black and had a fierce glare on his face.

Mercury stood still, staring back at Trowa and trying to keep her cool for the terrified boy as she internally battled what she should do.

"A valiant attempt you Senshi are currently attempting across the city- however foolish. Set down the boy and step back, I'll make his death quick- unlike yours."

The boy cried out and Mercury held him closer, taking a small step back. Trowa's response was to take a larger step forwards.

"He's just a boy; no possible threat to you. What will killing him do to further your war?"

He tipped his head at her, studying her closely.

"We've killed many as I've been hearing. Why defend this one? Shouldn't you Senshi try to make a plan to take down my leader rather than worry about these petty battles?"

"People come first," she said, gripping the child even closer if possible when Trowa began to laugh.

"That's why you're all going to lose the war," he said with a frown, his laughter ending abruptly. "Set him down. You don't want me to do to him what I'm about to do to you."

"Trowa, if I let you do that you'll never forgive yourself. You and Duo can take your remaining few youma and leave the cemetery. This isn't the place to battle, you could defile graves. All of these people were here mourning loved ones you took from them," she said cautiously, stepping back.

"Trowa," he repeated. "This is my first appearance, if you will. Why would I regret my actions? How do you know my name?"

"Because I know you."

He shook his head. "That's impossible, although I will admit you seem a bit familiar-" Trowa stopped speaking, realizing he was speaking too much with the enemy and also speaking more with her than he would most people.

Mercury knew why he'd stopped and hope welled up within her. Perhaps there was hope for them. After all, Duo had referred to himself as Shinigami, clearly something from his old life.

"Enough stalling. I'm trying to avoid letting him suffer. This is the last time I tell you."

Mercury decided to chance it, turning and running away as fast as her legs could carry her.

Trowa rolled his eyes at her actions, raising his gun, which had been modified to shoot energy much like what Laycaon and the youma could produce.

With his scarily accurate aim, he fired. Mercury was only about twenty feet away when the beam of energy hit her in the back, bringing her to her knees by a grave with a gasp. The child gasped, shaking her slightly as she inhaled a deep breath, judging how deep the wound in her back must have been.

"Sailor Mercury! He's coming!"

She nodded painfully at the child, knowing he would be the first to die if Trowa caught up to them. She struggled to her feet with a groan, moving away from Trowa as fast as she could. She had to set the kid down so she could fight back, at least defend herself if she wouldn't harm Trowa. However, Trowa would kill the boy in the blink of an eye, and there weren't many places to hide the boy. They were far from the others, who seemed to be fairing alright, and she was too disoriented to think of a plan.

"Are you finished bothering me?"

His voice was much closer than she had hoped and she sighed.

"No."

"Wrong answer," he said, raising his gun again.

"I know," she said. "I was hoping a certain Gundam pilot might remember something before he killed us. I wouldn't attack him."

The words 'Gundam' and 'pilot' sparked something in his memory, but he couldn't place it.

"Why?"

She glanced over at him, not moving the child in hitting range but just turning her head slightly.

"Why?"

"Why won't you attack me? And what's a Gundam?"

Mercury had a feeling he remembered those words slightly, and took the opportunity.

She set the boy down and turned to face Trowa, keeping the boy behind her.

The boy peeked out from behind her, moving back quickly and keeping as far from the man's sight as he could.

"I won't attack you because you're my friend. You piloted a Gundam, so you should know." She seemed tense, and he watched her hands closely.

Trowa again frowned.

"What? Ready to actually attack me now?"

She shook her head, and Trowa glared. Something about the girl was so familiar, and talking to her was…normal. She was stirring a strange feeling within him and he couldn't place it. That bothered him.

He raised his gun.

"Fine. I'll kill you and then finish him and the remaining pathetic people in this cemetery off. I don't have all day, and you're getting on my nerves."

"Mercury Bubbles, Blast!"

Mercury had taken her opportunity, using one of her most useful attacks. Had she attacked Trowa? No, but she had temporarily concealed herself. Only she and her friends could see through the mist.

Feeling the grip of the boy standing behind her tighten on her leg, Mercury reached down and picked him up, her face now more clear to him.

She could see Jupiter ushering for the woman she had been protecting from Duo and a youma to come towards where Mercury was, and the boy began to fidget excitedly and he pulled at Mercury's collar.

"That's Momma." She nodded, making her way towards Jupiter and the frantic woman, who cried out in relief once Mercury and her son came into view.

Venus had already taken advantage of the fog, attacking and destroying her youma.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

Having no one to stop her, she helped the people see the cemetery doors and lead them out, running back to her friends and taking the arm of the woman who was now hugging her son fiercely to show her out.

Mercury and Jupiter stood alertly near each other. Since the fog, Trowa, Duo, and the last remaining youma seemed to have disappeared, but they could have just been trying to get the Senshi to let their guard down.

Mercury now noticed Jupiter's shoulder, which Duo or his youma had undoubtedly slashed pretty badly. Jupiter was gripping it tightly to stop the blood flow a bit, but was eyeing Mercury's back.

"That looks bad Merc."

"Yours as well, we'll check them out in a second."

"Guys, where are they?" Venus asked, running over to Jupiter and Mercury and referring to the pilots.

"I don't know, they could be tricking us," Jupiter said, staring around the area suspiciously.

"You two are injured and unwilling to attack. Let's get out of here, at least patch ourselves up and look for our friends. Anyways, this battle was smaller than most. There were no casualties and the people who were injured have gotten out of here," Venus reasoned.

"Fine, the pilots may have left anyways," Mercury commented, feeling depressed as she thought about Trowa. How was she going to get him back now?

The three ran from the cemetery, not realizing that Trowa and Duo were floating high above them and hidden, listening.

"Jupiter said some weird things to me over there, plus one of them knew my name," Duo commented as he watched them run off interestedly.

"Mercury too. Plus they just called us pilots," Trowa said suspiciously, thinking. "What do you remember about your life before recently?"

Duo frowned at the question, taken aback. "Well…we grew up with the radical group Andromache now leads, and we've always been friends."

"Any stories? Any funny moments? Training? We're resilient and can fly, right, but how come we can't make energy come from our hands like the rest of Andromache's men?"

Duo opened his mouth to answer, and stopped. It was true. Andromache had given them guns and for Wufei a sword. Something about their encounter with the Senshi had seemed too familiar for comfort.

* * *

Venus had helped Mercury quickly patch up her back, before the two helped Jupiter with her shoulder. They were currently all trying to think of a plan. Several areas in the city were under attack, and they really couldn't all go together. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn were meeting them at the park to divide up and figure out where the rest of the Senshi were.

"That battle at the cemetery really did go well," Jupiter commented from where she was leaned. "I'm confused though. They didn't manage to kill anyone, although they tried, and they didn't defile a single grave. They attacked a cemetery but targeted only living people. Why?"

Venus shrugged from where she stood, glancing at the two. "Attacking mourning people in a cemetery is one of those things that would really lower the morale of a community. Andromache needs some level of compliance from the people of this city if she plans to take it. Fear and low spirits would only make it easier. I think that's why they did it."

Mercury nodded, totally agreeing with Venus. Turning from where she was standing, by a swing set, she saw the four Senshi they were waiting for.

"Good," she said, her tone one of relief as Jupiter and Venus turned, abruptly ending their conversation.

"Hey," Uranus greeted quickly as the seven gathered together.

"Okay, so Mars, Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen are downtown, although Mars is in a different area than the other two last time we spoke," Neptune said, Pluto nodding.

"Yes, Wufei and a bunch of youma attacked there. I also think Andromache made an appearance there, as well as Laycaon," Pluto said, out of breath.

"The mall is being attacked according to the news," Uranus added, "as well as the cinema, although I'm not sure if it's been evacuated. Also, the airport is having a big attack. That'll be the toughest job."

"Well," Pluto said. "I think that since the airport will be the toughest so far, us outers should all head there and try to calm that down. Two people should go to the mall, and one more to the cinema to ensure it's been evacuated. The person sent to the cinema can call everyone's communicators after and decide where to go help, unless a new area arises that also needs help."

"Smart thinking Pluto," Saturn said, everyone nodding.

"Right, well then, I'll go to the mall," Jupiter said. "I'll go too," Venus said.

"Okay then," Mercury said. "I'll make sure the cinema is evacuated and then catch up with you all or the others downtown."

"Right."

Everyone separated immediately, taking off in different directions.

* * *

Mars felt rather than heard a scream escape her lungs as a large bus toppled onto its side.

Enraged, she attacked the four youma that had done it.

"Mars Celestial Fire, Surround!"

Her attack took out two of them, but she followed with another one immediately.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

This attack finished the last two youma, and she went running at top speed to the bus, tears blurring her vision as she forced open the doors climbed over the tires, as she tried to see who she could help.

The bus had been moving when the youma had caused it to crash and topple over, making it a very hard hit.

Many of the people seemed to be shocked, knocked out, or severely injured. She could hear crying and a few people were calling, asking for help.

The driver was dead, and she turned her face from his mangled body with a grimace, muttering a prayer as she climbed through the bus and wondering how long it would take the ambulances that were a few streets away, where Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen battled, to come help.

She began to sob when she realized that one of the conscious women whom had called for help was hurt very badly. She surely wouldn't survive. The woman was now drifting in and out of consciousness, and her head was bleeding severely as she muttered, asking for help still. The bus had become more quiet and she wiped at her tears, knowing she had better climb back out and try to get an ambulance their quicker since she was in no way equipped to help.

Hearing a siren outside, she sighed in relief and climbed out the doors again, waving to the men and women in the several ambulances.

All pulled up stretchers and went running at the bus, some rescue workers coming to try and take apart some of the bus so that they could better reach the people.

Mars stepped far away from the wreckage, trying not to be in the way and wary of any more youma.

"Too bad all the workers are going to die before they help anyone," a cold and familiar voice said behind her. Mars spun, only a mere five feet from Wufei. Had he not spoken, she may have gone running to him to ask if he was alright. His words however, were purely evil and indicated only one thing.

"So they got to you."

It was really more of a statement, but he frowned at her.

"Got to me?"

"Yes, Wufei, you're on Andromache's side."

"I always have been. How does a weak onna like you know my name?"

She rolled her eyes at his statement, and he stepped forwards menacingly at the casual attitude she held towards him.

"Some things never change, do they Wu-man."

Something flickered in his eyes and she knew she had struck something angry within him.

"Where did you hear that?"

"What?"

"That name. An idiot comrade of mine says that, no one else."

"Well, considering I know both of you, it's probably simple." She crossed her arms in a casual attitude and he glared.

"Who are you?"

"A friend."

"A Senshi is no friend of mine."

"You're wrong about that."

"Impossible."

"You wanna bet?"

He growled at the way he was arguing with her, like a child. Raising his katana, he stepped forwards.

"You have about three seconds to start talking, onna."

"I'm all too happy to oblige," she said sweetly, before adding. "Call off your youma, at least temporarily."

"Onna, you may be losing your mind." He stared at her critically, shaking his head. "Look at you, tear stains on your face and acting tough. Weak women should not be allowed on the battle field."

Mars growled slightly, stepping forwards. "Whether you remember it or not, we always wanted to have a fight. Let's go, without the sword. I can guarantee that I'll beat you."

He laughed at her, shaking his head. "I'm not going to fight you, I'm just going to kill you."

Immediately after this statement, he leapt forwards, his katana above his head as he attempted to strike her down. Mars rolled to the left, narrowly missing the hit. When the katana connected with the ground, it tore through the cement and Mars gasped.

Andromache had tampered with it.

"Keep moving onna, I'm coming," Wufei warned, slashing at her again. Mars dodged by an inch, but he did nor relent and continued to slash at her, this time cutting off the edge of her hair as she leapt back. Glancing at her hair, Mars growled ferociously.

"You jerk!"

Wufei's onslaught continued, and he raised his arms to attack Mars, defenseless on the floor. She kicked up, connecting with his face as he growled angrily. She leapt to her feet but could not avoid the blow she had coming, as Wufei's katana connected with her side, drawing blood on impact and causing her to scream as she attempted to move away lest the cut deepen.

"Mars fire, ignite!" It was one of her weaker attacks, and truth be told, she hadn't put much in it as she fell to the ground, having had no choice but to attack him.

Mars grasped her side, watching Wufei's face contort as he fell to the ground, burned but not as severely as a normal human would have been. Apparently, the powers Andromache had given them had made them stronger.

She let out an anguished groan and guilt filled her as she struggled to her knees, feeling the blood leaking down her side as she crawled over to him, gasping in pain herself.

"Get away from me, onna," he rasped out, getting to his knees and attempting to move away, before he realized how much blood she was quickly losing.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I wouldn't have attacked you had you not-" she began to feel weak and clutched the ground to stay steady, keeping her eyes on Wufei as he began to get a funny look on his face, not attacking her and just watching in shock.

Feeling hope well within her, she produced a small piece of white paper with black symbols on it, a charm as she usually referred to it although she used it for other things.

"Evil spirits, be gone," she managed to say clearly yet quietly, placing the paper on his forehead. He gasped, moving his hand to remove the paper before stopping as a flood of memories hit him. Mars sighed with relief, realizing that since Wufei had been so weakened and questioning his actions, her small charm had been enough to make him remember past whatever Andromache had given him.

"Rei," he said, shock tearing through him as he thought back to his actions within the last five minutes. He still felt strong from whatever Andromache had given him, but he had his old memories back.

She immediately fell limp and he gasped at the amount of blood. Stumbling to his feet despite the pain, he picked her still form off the ground, trying to stay balanced as he surveyed the area. Her head rolled to the side slightly and her breaths were short, and he began to curse the modified version of his sword that could do that much damage with one blow.

Spotting the ambulances about sixty feet away, he ran to one of the men, watching him gasp.

"What happened to Sailor Mars?"

"Bad wound on her side," he said quickly, setting her down on a stretcher. "Please, can you stop the blood?"

The man looked shocked, calling another woman over.

"We have to take her to the hospital," she said, "and you as well."

Wufei grabbed her wrist, shaking his head. "She doesn't want that, Senshi heal different than you and I do. Just stop the blood and let me get her out of here."

The two paramedics glanced at him, realizing he must know her.

"Fine, I'll try, and we'll temporarily treat those burns of yours and let you get her out of here," the woman said, nodding at the man next to her.

Wufei nodded his head. "Thanks."

"No thanks required. We would have patched her up no questions asked. The Senshi do a lot for this city," the man said as the two got right to work.

* * *

Sailor Moon ran down the street, screaming at the top of her lungs as a large boulder rolled behind her. Youma littered the area, and Andromache floated above, laughing after conjuring the boulder. Sheer brilliance, in her opinion.

Sailor Moon's scream was silenced as Tuxedo Mask leapt in front of her, gathering her in his arms and jumping from the area in a matter of seconds.

"Destroy the boulder, Sailor Moon!"

She nodded, raising her scepter and shouting "Moon Scepter Elimination!" The massive energy of the attack broke the boulder into pieces and stopped its havoc.

"Nice save as always," she said, winking and laughing as the two began to try and take out some of the youma around them.

Andromache growled from above them. Tuxedo Kamen was too quick, and he and Sailor Moon always worked as a team, making them near impossible to beat. She called out to her youma.

"My minions, I want every single one of you to stop what you're doing and attack Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen!"

The youma all turned, facing the two.

"Shit," Tuxedo Kamen said, letting the curse slip as they all charged.

* * *

"Everyone out! What are you all standing around watching?!" Venus grabbed Jupiter's arms to calm her during the battle, shaking her head. They were in the food court of the mall fighting several youma, but some people had chosen to stand aside and watch the spectacle rather than evacuate.

A table was thrown at one of the groups of people by a youma, and all of them screamed and leapt away.

"Oh, so you run now," Jupiter remarked as the room finally cleared.

The two turned to face the youma, who were now gathered in a group before them. There were at least thirty youma standing before them.

"Wait," a voice said.

The two looked up, watching with shock as Heero and Quatre floated to the ground in front of the youma.

The youma stepped back obediently, and Jupiter and Venus glanced at each other. Both men were wearing dark uniforms similar to the ones Duo and Trowa had worn earlier. Heero didn't look too different than usual other than his clothes, staring at them with an unreadable expression on his face. Quatre however, looked very different to Jupiter, and it made her sad when she thought about how kindly he used to look upon her, unlike now.

"Andromache warned us about you. You Senshi are quite troublesome," Quatre noted, his voice lower and more sadistic than usual.

Heero stood silently, staring at them in an almost calculating way. Venus searched his eyes for any glimmer of recognition, but he showed her none.

"Let us eliminate them," Heero told Quatre. "They'll destroy our youma and force us to re-group."

"Good thinking," Quatre said, pulling out his gun, which Heero already had raised.

They turned to the youma. "You all attack on our orders only, understood?" The youma nodded at the two, taking Heero's words very seriously.

"Heero," Quatre said suddenly, and Heero spun to see that the Senshi had taken off like lightening, to opposite parts of the mall in an attempt to lose them. The two fired after them but they were too far.

"Shit," Heero said, as the two turned back to the youma. "Stay put, remember. We've lost too many troops today."

Heero and Quatre each took off after one of the Senshi, into the well-lit corridors of the mall.

* * *

Wufei was ducked inside an abandoned building's doorway, out of sight but still able to see if any youma attacked the area. He was holding Sailor Mars in his arms, cautious not to move her too much until she awoke.

The paramedic had stopped the bleeding a half hour before, and he had immediately taken her to let her rest. In fact, he had assumed she would come to earlier, and was now guiltily and anxiously awaiting for her to wake up. The powers Andromache had given him had allowed her attack not to harm him too much, although he knew she had been forced to do so. The paramedics had quickly treated him and let him get out of sight.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he felt her shift in his arms, groaning slightly.

"Rei?"

His voice seemed to fully awaken her as she jumped, remembering what had happened.

He clutched onto her, not wanting her to re-open her wound. She slowly turned in his grasp, looking up at him. Her large violet eyes were slightly glassy since she had just woken up, and Wufei felt his breath get caught in his throat as he stared at her.

"You're back to normal," she stated.

He nodded. "Right."

A silence passed between them, but the two kept eye contact for what seemed like forever.

"I'm sorry," Wufei finally said, breaking the silence. Rei was shocked at his sincere apology, however he was surprised at how quickly she responded.

"I forgive you. I attacked you too."

Mars wasn't sure when or how, but their faces were soon only a couple of inches apart.

Wufei stared at her a moment longer, before closing the gap between them and landing a quick kiss on her lips. He drew back slightly, almost as if he were searching for her approval. In response, Mars leaned forwards and placed a heated kiss on his lips.

When the two pulled apart, Mars watched him, not yet blushing.

"I thought you hated women."

He shook his head, a smirk gracing his typically serious features. "I don't hate all women. I hate women who show the female stereotype of weakness, such as on the battlefield. I respect strong women."

Mars nodded, quite pleased at his answer, but gasped when he stood, still carrying her.

"Hey! Put me down!" He shook his head at her demands.

"You'll re-open your wound. It's pretty bad. I know you heal quick, but not that quick. Anyways, I doubt you can walk right now."

Mars was about to retort and try to prove him wrong before she realized he was right. She shrugged.

"Where to?"

"I was hoping you could use that watch of yours and call Sailor Moon. She's battling down here somewhere, right?"

She nodded, and began to do so, but Sailor Moon didn't respond.

"Let's go look for them," Wufei suggested.

* * *

Venus had actually ducked into a clothing store somewhat near the food court, hiding inside a round clothing hanger and resisting biting her nails, especially since she had on gloves.

What were she and Jupiter supposed to do now? They couldn't attack them, since they weren't positive the pilots could withstand their attacks or how much they could handle. Plus, Venus had seen the guns in action earlier that afternoon and wasn't too excited to feel its results.

So here she sat, ducking like a wimp and trying to think of something to do.

Heero meanwhile, had looked around several stores quickly and seen nothing. In fact, he had almost missed where Venus was clearly hidden had she not been hiding inside a rounder filled with black sweaters. The orange ribbon from her uniform was clearly visible beneath the sweaters.

He approached stealthily and silently, somewhat enjoying the chase as he was nearing the rounder.

Venus stiffened, hearing very faint footsteps. Heero was so quiet, but she knew he was there. He had to be. If she could get the stupid gun from his hands, she might have a shot. Thrilled with the idea, she sat alertly and waited, ready to attack.

Heero, finally upon the rounder Venus was hiding beneath, readied his gun and threw aside the sweaters on the rounder, finding it totally empty. He frowned. He had just seen her ribbon there…

"Gotcha!" From the rounder next to the one he was standing by, Venus leapt onto Heero's back, knocking him to the floor with all of her might and leaping after his gun that had clattered to the floor a few feet away.

Heero got to his knees, amused but not deterred as he also had a second gun on him. Venus grabbed the first gun and turned to face him, still on the ground and beginning to sit up. Heero was upon her before she could fumble hurriedly with the gun, knocking it out of her hands. Venus screamed, her fingers intertwined with the trigger and realizing it had gone off before leaving her hands, striking the ceiling before clattering to the floor. Heero pinned her down as he glared at her, raising the second gun at her face.

"Clever, I must admit. It ends here though."

Venus screamed, pointing above her. Heero barely looked up before realizing that when Venus' gun went off, the energy from the shot had torn through the cables holding up the large row of lights above them.

They came crashing down before either on of them could move, and Venus shielded her eyes as they crashed onto Heero's back. Venus was protected since Heero had been on top of her, pinning her down.

There was a crash louder than Venus was ever sure she had heard, some crackling, and then silence.

Venus groaned immediately, blinking open her eyes and adjusting to the now very little lighting that the room had. She moved to sit up but couldn't since Heero was on top of her, not moving, as were the ceiling lights. Since she was only halfway beneath Heero and the lights, she tipped herself sideways, using all of her might to roll out from underneath Heero with a gasp as he fell flat to the floor and the lights weighed down on him more. The light fixtures in the room had consisted of large bars holding huge ceiling lights together, and Venus' accidental shot had taken out the wires in the middle, holding an entire row.

Clearing her vision, she focused her attention on Heero's prone body. Was he- was he dead?

Venus reached a trembling hand to his sprawled out arm, jumping when he flinched and groaned loudly, struggling to get up.

"Careful Heero, you might hurt yourself worse," she said cautiously, sitting on her knees and trying to push the large fixtures off of him. Bits of glass fell from her hair and she gasped, realizing he was probably all cut up like her as well.

"Why….would you care?" His strained words shocked her, but she reminded herself of the situation quickly. He was still brainwashed. She could tell he was in a lot of pain, and glass covered the floor. Her knees dug into it as she began to push at the unmoving lights. How the hell had she rolled out, half beneath it or not?

"Is your back broken?"

He didn't respond, and she smacked his back, receiving a groan of protest but nothing more.

"Wow, whatever Andromache gave you made you stronger."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, just that Andromache stole you and your friends from your home and brainwashed you. You used to be a Gundam pilot, you piloted Wing Zero," she explained nonchalantly as she again tugged at the metal bars.

It sounded familiar, and Heero was getting an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I'll try to lift them, hang on," she said, bracing herself. She wrapped her fingers around the bars, covered in tiny bits of glass, and began to tug with all her might.

"Ow, ow, ow," she said as she managed to lift them slightly, having to let them drop again.

He groaned and she gasped. "Sorry!"

"Why are you helping me?"

"That's what friends do," she said, rubbing bits of glass off of her gloves and reaching for the bars.

"We're not friends."

"You're wrong about that," she said flippantly, gripping the bars and wincing slightly. Her hands were really cut up and it hurt just to grab the bars.

With a slight groan, she pushed up the metal again, struggling to push it high enough for Heero to get out, and once again had to set it down, unable to lift them very high.

Now she was frustrated. She felt tears stinging at her eyes, but she wasn't ready to give up.

Heero's eyes widened slightly as she continued to try and get him out, not understanding why she was helping him, her clear enemy. A moment ago he had been trying to kill her.

"Okay," she said, her voice more defeated than it had been earlier, bordering tears.

"I'm going to try again. If you can move at all, try to crawl out before I drop it, okay? I'm really gonna try this time…"

Her words were affecting Heero more than she knew, and she braced herself as she grabbed a firm hold of the bars and pulled them up with a cry. Heero felt the weight lift off of him enough, and he quickly shuffled out, feeling the glass beneath him entering his skin and suddenly feeling his injuries from the lights.

Venus dropped them, rushing to his side as he groaned, unable to stand.

His back wasn't broken, but his head was pounding and he could feel the blood leaking from where the lights had hit him when they crashed.

"Can you stand?"

Heero wouldn't dignify a response, mixed between thanking the girl and killing her.

She grabbed his hand without waiting for his consent and helped drag him to his feet, supporting him as he managed to stand if he leaned on her.

"Stop helping me," he protested. "I'm supposed to be killing you."

"No," she said simply, checking behind her to make sure that both of his guns were on the ground and that he couldn't seriously harm her as the two limped out into the hall. "You may not remember me right now Heero, but I'm going to make sure you live to do so."

* * *

Tuxedo Kamen threw a large handful of roses at some of the approaching youma, stopping them temporarily. Another youma came at them, and he whacked it with his cane, causing it to slump to the ground.

Sailor Moon screamed as several youma charged her at once. She pulled off her tiara and threw it at the nearest one, destroying it on contact. Readying another attack, she pointed her scepter at a crowd of them and shouted. "Moon Scepter Elimination!"

It took out the nearest few, and she backed up next to Tuxedo Kamen worriedly. A youma's attack tore through the crowding youma, heading right at Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Kamen leapt in front of her and it hit him in his left arm, him sinking to his knees while gripping his arm.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" She screamed. Suddenly, she froze, an odd feeling going through her as she felt an unbelievable amount of energy fill her veins, and it wasn't just fueled by the silver crystal.

As if in a trance, she raised her scepter. It changed temporarily, from gold and pink into a silver and white scepter.

"Silver Moon Scepter, Annihilate!"

One of the largest attacks Tuxedo Kamen had ever seen came exploding from Sailor Moon's scepter, expanding in a wave of massive light and destroying at least thirty of the around fifty charging youma.

She immediately fell limp, her scepter changing back to normal. He was by her side in a moment, catching her with his uninjured arm before she hit the ground.

The remaining twenty or so youma stared in horror at the remains of their comrades and turned, running towards the portal they had come from like a stampede.

Andromache, who had been monitoring from above, began to scream.

"You sniveling weaklings! You disgrace my name!" She snapped her fingers and disappeared after her youma, just as Wufei and Mars arrived on the scene.

Wufei rushed over, carrying Mars still, and Tuxedo Kamen jumped slightly, lowering Sailor Moon gently to the ground as he tried to control the bleeding on his left arm.

"It's okay Tuxedo Kamen, he's back to normal," Mars assured. "Is she alright?"

"She's just passed out from that attack, same as what happened to you," he replied. "Are you alright Mars?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine."

Wufei glanced around, searching for a sign of any paramedics in the area.

"Let's patch that arm of yours up or else hope that she wakes up and can walk," Wufei commented.

* * *

Jupiter rushed into a furniture store, ducking behind a shelf. Where was Venus now? She knew she couldn't attack Quatre, no way. What should she do? Face him? Try to make him remember?

He would shoot her though, just like Duo had done with the energy gun to her shoulder that morning.

She had to say something to spark his memory- anything.

"Now I've found you."

She gasped, jumping to her feet and raising her hands. How had she missed him entering the store? He stood before her, his gun pointed at her and looking at her in a funny way.

"Please Quatre, you can't do this. You'll regret it forever!"

"Why would I do that? How do you know me?" He stared at her critically, and she gulped, not used to the foreboding look.

"Because we met a couple of weeks ago and I know how much you care for life. Any life, and I would hope that mine would matter to you as much after the time we've spent together!"

"I've never met you," he said, something about her words on life bothering him. Clearly, he didn't care that much about human loss. He was working under Andromache, and they killed as they pleased. Still, the sentiments sounded familiar.

"You have."

"Where?"

"Your estate in England. An old property of-"

"-my parents."

Quatre gasped at his own words, surprised that they had slipped from his mouth with such ease.

"How did you- how did I?" He tried to remember something-anything.

"So you haven't forgotten everything," she stated, sounding relieved.

He raised his gun so she didn't get too comfortable. "Listen, I know that was odd but I won't believe you so easily."

"Fine, do you need more convincing?"

"If that's your last request," he stated, and she took a small step back, willing her memory for anything about him that would be strong enough to make him remember before he killed her.

"Okay. Your full name is Quatre Winner."

"It's Quatre Raberna Winner," he corrected irritably, before gasping at what he had done.

"What's going on here?"

Jupiter smiled to herself, hope filling her, as she continued.

"You used to be a soldier, a pilot. You piloted a machine called a Gundam, and its name was something with Sand, Sand dune?"

"Sandrock," he corrected, and she nodded, ignoring his own shock as she continued.

"Right, Sandrock. You fought for the colonies and Earth, but destroyed your Gundam when the war was over. You work for the Preventers now, with your good friends. Recently, while you five were on vacation, my friend Ami got knocked into your world, and my friends and I all followed. You knew me as Makoto Kino. You guys were suspicious but eventually the truth came out. A few nights ago, we were all attacked and Andromache captured all of you and brainwashed you."

"With a potion made of black liquid," he said, before covering his mouth and dropping his gun. "My God! I can't remember everything you said, and I'm not sure what I remember of you, but I do remember some of what you're saying. It must be true…if only I had the rest of my memories back, then I could be sure."

"Me too," she said, stepping forwards. "It kind of hurts, that you don't remember me either."

He approached. "Not everything," he said cautiously, staring at the girl before him. "I wonder if I'd say this under normal circumstances, but is it odd that I've had the overwhelming urge to grab you and kiss you since I walked into this store?"

Jupiter blushed furiously, wondering if that had been on Quatre's mind and he had stalled out of shyness before he was captured. She sure hoped so…..

"It really wouldn't hurt," she said, closing the distance between them. "I've been hoping for that for a couple of weeks, I must admit."

He stared at her a second, shocked at how quickly his memories were coming back to him by the second. Whatever he had been given must have been wearing off drastically once he made the connection to his past.

"I remember how fascinated I was with your eyes," he commented quietly, letting his hand touch her chin.

Her blush intensified, but she continued to stare at him. He was so close to her that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

More bold than he ever would be had he retained his full memories, Quatre leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, Jupiter grabbing his shoulders and deepening the kiss immediately. His eyes widened, as everything he'd forgotten returned to him full force. He staggered back a step, shock overtaking him.

"What have I done? We've caused so much havoc in only one day!"

Realizing Quatre was pretty much back to normal, Jupiter rushed forwards and grabbed his hands, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

"Calm down. Everything will be fine. We have to find Venus and Heero, and you have to keep up the act, at least long enough to make sure the youma you were commanding stay put and let us destroy them without too much difficulty!"

He nodded at her words, the two running from the store and down the hall.

About twenty feet down the hall, Venus and Heero were limping towards them.

Jupiter ran forwards, Quatre at her heels.

"Venus! What happened? Is he alright?"

Venus nodded. "He will be, glad to have found you. Quatre seems back to normal."

"I am, good to see you Venus," Quatre greeted, looking at Heero. "Heero, you as well?"

Heero glared and Venus shook her head.

"No, but he's injured and weaponless at least."

Jupiter smirked and Quatre shook his head.

"Heero, you must remember! We are not minions of Andromache!"

"What did they do to you?" Heero asked, on the fence between believing Venus or thinking that Jupiter had brainwashed his friend.

"Nothing Heero. It's Andromache who did something to us. She captured us, had the youma attack us and hold us down while she gave us the black potion. Remember?"

The memory seemed so familiar, so close, but Heero still could not call it his own.

"You will soon," Quatre promised, clearly disappointed. "We'll go finish off the youma. Venus, you can hide here with Heero a few minutes."

Venus nodded, and she forced Heero to lean up against a wall, "come on."

He grunted and looked away, trying to gather in his head what had happened in the last twenty minutes. Nothing made sense. She sat next to him, a bit defeated that Jupiter had managed to get Quatre to remember and that she couldn't do the same with Heero.

Jupiter and Quatre nodded and ran off. When they reached the food court, Jupiter ducked behind a wall and Quatre stepped out in front of the youma.

"Good, you listened well," he said, and the youma nodded and faced him obediently.

"I have a request. I ask that you all stand perfectly still. Something important is about to happen and I need you all to listen. No matter what happens- do not attack."

The youma shared glances, unsure of why they were being requested that.

He nodded, pulling out his gun. Before anyone knew what was happening, he had shot two youma in the head with the gun. It was an energy attack, and both youma slumped to the ground and disappeared. The youma gasped and began to look at each other.

"Those two youma were disobedient," Quatre said quickly before they charged at him. He still raised his gun and killed another.

The youma began to hiss.

"He lies!"

"A traitor!"

"A traitor to our good Queen's cause!"

Jupiter jumped out from where she hid.

"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"

The attack killed two of the youma, and they all glanced up.

"He is with the enemy!"

"He associates with those wretched Senshi!"

Quatre backed up and tore into a run as the remaining twenty-five or so youma tore after him. Jupiter gasped, but was tackled to the floor by a youma she hadn't noticed.

"Hey!" She shouted, kicking it off of her. The youma began to swarm around Quatre and he began to quickly fire, having too many to take out at once.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The attack out only a couple more and fear gripped her.

"Stop!"

Quatre gasped at Jupiter's suddenly changed tone, and the youma stopped their assault momentarily, turning to look at her and moving away from Quatre quickly as they tried to run away.

Quatre knew what Jupiter was about to do and ran towards her, out of the attacks way. She was about to attack just like Sailor Mars and apparently Neptune had done earlier.

"Violent Thunderstorm!"

Lightening tore from her hands unlike any of her other attacks, accompanied by a strong wind and a loud crashing sound as it unbelievably grew in size, destroying every running youma and damaging much of the area.

Quatre was barely in time to catch her as she collapsed, gasping at the destruction her one attack had caused and shaking slightly. He had believed he was done for a minute ago.

Picking her up, he rushed back to where Venus sat tensely with a silent Heero.

Venus stood. "I heard the crash. She did one of those attacks, didn't she?"

Quatre nodded, sitting down tiredly and cradling Jupiter's body in his arms. Venus' eyes softened and she turned to glare at Heero, punching him in the arm.

"Why haven't you remembered yet?" She demanded, upset that she hadn't made much progress with him.

Heero glared at her, looking away. He couldn't remember much, as if he was on the edge between his life working under Andromache and another he supposedly had lived. If he had his gun and wasn't injured, he probably would have killed all of them to end his confusion.

Quatre was very trusting of them though….

He turned back to Venus.

"Help me remember you."

She nodded excitedly, thinking.

"Okay, I'll tell you all about the stuff that happened in the house and the conversations we shared! Maybe something will spark your memory!"

* * *

"The youma are trying to knock people off of the escalator!" Saturn screamed, running forwards with Neptune.

While the two were taking care of that issue of the airport, Uranus and Pluto stood facing Duo and a large number of youma by the baggage claim. He was standing before them arrogantly, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Unfortunately for my attack plan, they stopped all of the flights headed into the airport and then evacuated most of the people, leaving us a meager amount to attack. I'm afraid fighting you Senshi will just have to satisfy my troops need for blood."

He turned to glance behind him just as Saturn and Neptune rejoined the other two Senshi. "Good, now that you're all ready…" he floated up into the air and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the youma charged. The four Senshi gasped, backing up closer to the rotating baggage claim.

* * *

Mercury made it to the cinema in record time, panting slightly as she leaned her hands on her knees. Her back was still bothering her and she needed to check the place out before heading over to help her other friends.

She headed inside. The cinema's lights were still on and everything was running, but she couldn't see any employees. The concession stand was a mess but she saw no bodies.

Fearing the people in the individual theatres were injured, she began the process of checking every one of them. She first headed to her right, checking in the theatres on that side. In the fifth theatre she checked, she heard a crying sound and some hushed speaking.

Rushing inside, she realized that a woman was injured very badly on the right hand side near the doors. She must have been trying to run away. That woman was crying, but next to her a man who wasn't injured as badly but whom clearly couldn't walk laid whispering encouraging words to her.

The two looked up when she ran inside, first alarmed and then relieved.

"Thank God," the man said. "We feared no one would come for us for hours. Are the monsters gone?"

"They are on this half of the theatre. I haven't checked the other side yet." Mercury crouched next to the woman, noticing how badly she was injured.

"There are paramedics at a collapsed building on the corner," Mercury said, pausing. "I'm going to run out and get them for you two. If we try to carry her, we'll aggravate her injuries."

The man nodded, and the woman's tears had slowed as she was beginning to lose consciousness.

"Keep her talking," Mercury instructed the man. "You don't want her passing out until they get here, it could be bad."

He nodded and began to ask the woman to name things, like to list her family and friends. Mercury nodded and ran out of the theatre, turning into the hallway and entering the main room before rushing out the front doors towards the end of the street.

She had four paramedics running in the front doors with stretchers five minutes later.

As she showed them into the cinema, she realized happily that the woman was still conscious.

"I'm going to go check the rest of this place. If I find anymore, I'll let you know," Mercury promised the paramedics on their way out the doors.

She headed to the opposite hallway, the part she hadn't checked yet.

Entering the third theatre, she heard only silence. Moving in, she took a look around and was about to leave the room before she heard a scream. Running up the steps, she saw a youma with its hand raised, ready to attack someone who had clearly been hiding on the floor between the seats.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

Her attack destroyed the youma before it could do anymore damage, and the teenage girl who had been ducked back there jumped to her feet and ran out of the room with a thankful look, fear gripping her.

Mercury turned to leave the room before she heard a voice.

"Bravo."

Trowa was seated in the highest row, leaned back in a seat and watching her closely despite the darkness.

She turned, and he smirked.

"The rest of my youma were sent downtown after we initially attacked in here. People run fast when they're scared. So technically, you just destroyed my last youma. Do you feel safe now?"

She didn't.

He stood and began to walk down the steps towards her. Mercury stood in the center of the steps, not sure whether to run away or face him.

"I thought more about what you said this morning," he commented nonchalantly. "At first, I wanted to look into some of what you said. However, I realized it was probably all lies to distract me from the war, so I've decided to think nothing of it."

He was now only one step above her, and Mercury began to walk backwards, carefully descending the steps.

Unknown to Trowa and Mercury, Laycaon had left the battle downtown with a plan in mind.

His jealousy of Trowa had grown at an alarming rate, and he had decided he had a few options. Without being brainwashed, Trowa would be extremely angered at the idea of Laycaon wanting Mercury. Would he care now?

If he did get angry that Laycaon was trying to finish what he'd started with Mercury at the estate and regained his memories, then Andromache would not be able to have Trowa and would come running to him.

If Trowa didn't care, then Laycaon would still get to have some fun and personal revenge on Mercury and also revenge on Trowa whether he was aware of it or not.

In his opinion, his plan was gold.

Before Mercury could back away more than a few steps from Trowa, Laycaon rushed forwards, seemingly out of nowhere, and grabbed Mercury around the waist from behind. He wrapped one of his arms around her neck and her free hand flew to that arm, trying to get him to release her.

"Laycaon," Trowa stated, watching him uninterestedly. "What brings you here? You were downtown with Andromache, and I am sure you didn't think that I would need help at the cinema."

Mercury watched Trowa as she spoke, suddenly realizing that he was actually Laycaon's superior. Laycaon's grip tightened, and Mercury figured he was pretty angry about that as well.

"No, actually, Andromache let me come," Laycaon said quickly, his voice relaxing as he began to lie. "You see, she told me I could have this Senshi a few days ago, and apart from any personal revenge I may be seeking, I intend to have her."

Trowa stared at Laycaon a moment, frowning deeply. It shouldn't have bothered him.

Mercury elbowed Laycaon as hard as she could in the stomach, managing to step forwards slightly. Trowa smirked as Laycaon's face contorted in pain, hating the man for reasons unknown to him.

His smirk faded as Laycaon grabbed a hold of the Mercury Senshi and threw her into the seats to their right with an incredible force. She began to climb to her feet, but Laycaon didn't allow it. He raised his right hand and released what looked to be a sphere of black, crackling, lightening. It expanded and covered Mercury's body, crackling and causing her to break into screams as she collapsed onto the floor next to the seats, breathing heavily as she attempted to get up. That had hurt.

Trowa found his feet pushing him forwards, but he held himself back when Laycaon turned to face him.

"She's a feisty one. I had trouble with her last time when she was totally defenseless. I'll have to rough her up a bit now for her to comply, but I'll have her this time," Laycaon said, walking over to where Mercury was beginning to stand and kicking her in the back, sending her down again with a cry. "Yes, we'll have a good time, won't we?"

"No."

"See," Laycaon told Trowa. "There's that attitude. Too bad that none of your friends are nearby to stop me this time, right Mercury?"

"One is," she muttered, and he sort of smirked.

"Indeed, one is."

Mercury spun from where she laid on the ground, and Laycaon gasped as he saw the source of her until recent silence, an attack.

"Mercury Ice Storm!"

It hit him from the close distance, only a few feet apart from each other, and he screamed in pain and collapsed to his knees as Mercury began to scramble backwards, beginning to stand.

Again, Trowa felt pleased.

Unfortunately, Laycaon was quick to realize she was getting away, and put aside his pain momentarily.

"Hold it right there!"

Two spheres of light formed in each of his palms, and he threw them at her in a blind fury as both exploded on contact and caused her to again scream loudly.

Mercury clutched her profusely bleeding stomach, where the first had hit, and her left upper thigh, where the second had exploded.

Laycaon limped towards her, still trying to shake off the effects of her attack as she began to grab for her wrists.

"Looking for this?"

She gasped as he held up her communicator. She hadn't even seen him remove it.

He chucked it aside, approaching quickly.

Trowa meanwhile, was struggling with what he knew and the odd feeling in his stomach.

It was disturbing him to watch Laycaon beat up the Mercury Senshi, yet his allegiance was to the Queen who wanted her and the others dead.

Also, some of what Laycaon had said had given him déjà vu, and he couldn't place why r when he had heard it.

Laycaon grabbed Mercury up by her collar, snarling at her.

"What I put you through really depends on your compliance, you know."

"You'll have to kill me then," she said, her voice solid, and he frowned.

"That won't be any fun."

He threw her to the floor and kicked her in her side, staring down at her. What would injure her worse but not kill her yet? She was stronger than most, so...

Raising his leg, he kicked her in the head, and she screamed. Her vision temporarily blurred and she grabbed her head.

"Get up," he commanded. He knew she was down but not out, and would not let himself be caught off guard again. She struggled to sit up, her head pounding, and he shrugged. He'd do more damage later.

Grabbing one of her arms, he began to drag her down the isle by the seats, heading towards the steps. Trowa was silent and looked more baffled than usual, and so Laycaon figured his plan must have been working.

Trowa stepped forwards, frowning at the body of the Mercury Senshi. She groaned while Laycaon pulled her around like some rag doll, pretty injured in the short while.

"Anyways, I think I'll drag her into another one of the empty theatres," Laycaon explained as he passed by Trowa with Mercury in tow. "We like our privacy, don't we? Don't worry though, when I'm finished I will take pity and kill you."

"Trowa," Mercury gasped out, attempting to pull her arm away unsuccessfully. She was losing control of the situation much like last time. "Stop him! Please Trowa!"

Trowa's heart skipped a beat, and he stepped forwards.

"Do you have a problem?" Laycaon stopped dragging Mercury down the stairs and looked at Trowa. "Is there some special sort of reason I can't do this?"

"I-" Trowa stopped himself. Of course there wasn't a reason. How could there be one? Why would the Mercury Senshi mean anything to him?

"No," he said bluntly, his voice cold.

Laycaon shrugged slightly, again beginning to drag Mercury down the stairs. Part of his plan had seemingly failed, but at least he had the satisfaction of having finished what he'd started.

"Trowa please!" Mercury begged, her insistent tugging on Laycaon's steel grip becoming more desperate as he pulled her down the last step and began to drag her out the door. She feebly kicked her legs, trying to trip Laycaon. "Trowa!"

"Shut up!" Laycaon shouted harshly, raising his leg and stepping on her stomach. Her eyes widened from the pain and he silenced her as she began to cough. Laycaon continued out the door, dragging her into the theatre next door. Trowa walked behind them by a few feet, watching where Laycaon had dragged her and then leaning against the wall of the main hall.

What was happening to him? He thought back to Laycaon's words about Mercury when he first entered the theatre, the words that had sparked something in his memory. All Laycaon had said in the theatre was that he'd attacked her before, and that she was defenseless at the time. He had called her feisty and told him that they'd "had a good time." It was as if he'd shared a similar conversation with Laycaon about Mercury recently, with the same words. That was impossible though. He hadn't even known that Laycaon had wanted Mercury before-

Trowa froze and grabbed his head, as a memory began to emerge from a locked away part of his mind.

"_Well, what I mean to say is that I had a good time. I didn't know just how entertaining your friend could be. We laughed, we cried- again I mean I laughed, she cried..." Laycaon's voice faded, his smile broadening. Trowa could feel himself shaking. Laycaon noticed and laughed, continuing his taunt with a light air to his voice, as if chatting with a friend._

"_I mean at first, I couldn't see what you found so appealing about the Mercury Senshi. But last night, I couldn't understand why she chooses to keep that body hidden under so much clothing. I would personally recommend that she wear only that nightgown, preferably wet like yesterday, all the time. It really does wonders for her." Laycaon stepped closer to the bars of the cell, wrapping his arms around two of the bars and bringing his face closer to Trowa's face as he spoke. "The best part of it was, I'm stronger than her on a normal basis, and yesterday she was hurt and totally defenseless! But be careful though, she's a feisty one. A little loud, wouldn't stop screaming until we were found. It was quite enticing actually, although I had to give her a few really good hits to shut her up. No worries though, apart from the internal bleeding she's fine."_

_Before Laycaon could blink, Trowa had moved forwards and punched him the cheek with all of his might, his hands unclasping the bars as he tumbled to the ground._

_Laycaon rubbed his cheek thoughtfully a moment, before laughing. "I must have really pissed you off, because that actually hurt a little. Like I keep saying, you're lucky I'm not allowed to take my anger out on you. It's too bad for Ami though, I'm pissed and part two is coming soon, plus I'm sort of looking forward to it."_

"_Shut up you asshole!" It was Duo who shouted this, as Quatre tried to keep Trowa slightly restrained from next to him. Wufei looked pissed as well, and Heero was calmly searching for his gun, although he was pretty sure that had been taken from him while he was unconscious._

_Trowa approached the bars again, glaring at Laycaon. "You...you didn't..."_

"_Maybe yes, maybe no...It's really a gamble on how fast your friends found her, although they were pre-occupied for quite some time." He shrugged. "I honestly want the question to plague you as you try to eat and sleep the next little while."_

Yes, yes he had been so angry. How had he known her before? Why had he been in a cell anyways? The events of that day began to run through his mind.

Mercury mentioning Gundams, calling him a pilot, telling him he was her friend, saying she'd never attack him, pleading for help-

He gasped, his head beginning to pound as a lifetime of memories began to fill him.

He had left her alone and let her get hurt, the one girl he loved, with...with Laycaon! Panic seized him.

"Ami!"

* * *

Uranus dodged a big black suitcase a youma had thrown at her with a scream, tumbling to the side and onto the conveyor belt moving the suitcases.

"World shaking!" Her attack hit a couple of distant youma, as she pulled out her space sword and began to cut through the youma to join Saturn.

Neptune crouched in the center of the baggage claim, ready to make her attack.

"Deep Submerge!" Her attack destroyed about three youma from what she could see, and she ducked to avoid another suitcase. The people the suitcases belonged to were going to be pretty ticked off…..

"Pluto Deadly Scream!" Pluto destroyed the youma in her path, as she fought to reach the real troublemaker of the group.

Duo stood, flicking her time staff around and opening and closing portals several feet away, seemingly enjoying himself. Andromache would probably be mad at him since he had swiped it from her quarters, but he really didn't care...

"Duo," she said angrily. "Don't do that!"

He turned to glare at her, not particularly enjoying the tone that the complete stranger had used with him.

"So you apparently know me," he said with a smirk. "Well babe, I think you don't realize how generous I'm being by not killing you for that tone of voice. I do what I please."

His voice was cold and quite unlike what she was used to, but Pluto did not let it deter her.

"That staff is mine and using it so frivolously could have terrible effects on all of time space."

"FYI lady, I don't care," Duo snapped, raising his gun. "I'd suggest you apologize for your rudeness and beg me for your life. Perhaps I will make your death quick."

"Duo," she protested. "I can't let you do that. It will cause you too much harm." As she said this, she approached him, only a few steps apart.

"I don't happen to see it that way," he said with a shrug, removing the safety. "Say goodbye."

As he pulled the trigger, Pluto ducked down and leapt forwards, her hand grasping the time staff. A bright light erupted from the staff, and Pluto and Duo shielded their eyes, neither one of them releasing the staff.

Only a moment after, Duo dropped to the floor, his fingers slipping off the staff.

"Oh my God!" When Duo and Pluto had touched the staff together, he had immediately seen his real past life.

"I…" He was at a loss for words, now realizing the terrible things he had done since he was brainwashed.

"You saw everything, didn't you?" Pluto asked, crouching next to him with her staff firmly in her hand. He nodded blankly.

"My power is time Duo. My staff simply showed you your time stream."

Before she could stand, Duo enveloped her in a big hug, shaking slightly.

"How can we fix what we did?"

Shocked, she hugged back. "You are not to blame. Act for only a bit longer. Help us control the youma and then we'll talk."

Nodding at her, the two separated and he stood.

"Play it cool," he said with a wink, running towards the youma.

He didn't make it there.

Uranus had indeed fought her way to Saturn, but the two had immediately been cornered. All of the youma stood, grouping around them and going in for the kill.

Saturn raised her glaive in defense, but it was knocked away somewhere as the two stood back to back, having no more options left.

"I…I don't want to die," Saturn suddenly said, the gravity of the situation reaching her. Uranus nodded at her, feeling a strange power begin to build up within her.

"Are you feeling what I am right now?" Saturn asked suddenly, an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I think so…." Uranus said, losing total control over her actions as her face went blank.

"Saturn Silencer!"

"Earth Smasher!"

The attacks flew from their hands in unison, blending together and growing steadily as every single youma that stood before them was completely annihilated.

Pluto tackled Duo to the floor and away from the brunt of the attack, the two still as it passed over them.

"I could get used to this," Duo said slyly. Pluto smacked his arm and stood, as the two sought out their friends.

Uranus and Saturn dropped to the floor, out cold. Neptune ran from where she had ducked down to check on them, Duo and Pluto catching up.

"They're fine," Neptune said as they neared.

"Neptune, firstly Duo's fine. Secondly, can the two of you carry Uranus and Saturn out of here? I have to get to the time gates and make sure everything's alright, but I'll meet you all at the temple later," Pluto said immediately. Neptune nodded, Duo glancing at her somewhat depressed but nodding.

Pluto disappeared, and Duo stared after her.

"Is she okay?"

"She's just worried about the time gates. Don't worry, after she checks everything out, she'll come back and probably even spend the night in Tokyo with everyone," Neptune assured, watching as Duo brightened.

'What's going on with them?' She thought, picking up Saturn as Duo picked up Uranus.

* * *

"Get away!" Mercury hollered, not out of the fight yet as Laycaon tugged at the collar of her sailor uniform. He was currently seated on top of her, holding her arms away. The two were in front of the screen but towards the left, further in.

"These outfits are enticing but very difficult on me," he said irritably. "I know this material tears!"

He raised his hand and a tiny ball of energy formed at his finger tip. He held it above her shoulder and fired, covering her scream of protest with his hand. Examining her bloody shoulder, he nodded. The magical energy had torn a hole through her uniform, however there was the issue of her bleeding too much. That wouldn't be any fun.

He released her mouth and examined the rest of the uniform, his eyes travelling over her body.

She began to scream loudly, hoping anyone would hear, and he rolled his eyes.

"Scream all you want. No one can hear you. No one cares. I am finishing what I started and I really shouldn't waste time."

"Get off of her, now," a cold voice said, filling the room. Laycaon turned around irritably, but gasped when he saw that Trowa's gun was raised. Relief filled Mercury immediately.

"Trowa, what are you still doing here?"

"Get off of her," he repeated, his voice not wavering. Laycaon frowned. Had he regained his memories? That had been his plan, although not when he was so close and at gunpoint.

"I-"

Trowa fired, the energy attack smacking into Laycaon's chest and causing the man to scream loudly. He toppled off of Mercury, beginning to crawl away.

"Whose side are you on?" Laycaon demanded, ready to get out of there and treat his wounds, since that shot was mixed with Mercury's attack from a few minutes before.

"Hers," Trowa said stoically, indicating with his gun at Mercury and beginning to approach Laycaon with a rage filling his voice. "Perhaps we should continue the conversation we had back in the cell. I'm free and wiling to do much more than punch you, or even shoot you."

Laycaon snapped his fingers, disappearing from the room before Trowa could do anymore damage.

Trowa growled angrily at his all-too-commonly quick escape, but was quick to let the issue leave his mind as he focused on Mercury. His gun clattered to the floor and he ran to her at top-speed, getting to his knees and helping her sit up.

"Ami?" She was now crying and stared straight into his eyes, searching for something although he wasn't sure what.

"It's you?"

He nodded, staring at her worriedly, but she simply reached one of her trembling hands out to his own. He clasped it immediately, surprised at the strength her grip had. His other hand flew lightly to her face, almost as if he was checking her for injuries she didn't think he could see.

"I missed you," she said through her tears, and he nodded, feeling his heart rate quicken.

"I missed you too." He thought a moment, a silence passing between them.

"Did he- I mean...before I was brainwashed he came into the cell and told us..."

Mercury shook her head. "The others got there in time."

Relief flooded his features, followed by guilt.

"This is all my fault."

"No," she choked out, shaking her head. "I couldn't blame you. I'm just so glad to have you back."

"Me too," he said. "We'll talk later, but first-" He picked her up and began to stand. "You mentioned paramedics."

She shook her head, tugging at his collar. "No, not yet."

Trowa frowned, his chest feeling heavy at her request.

"Ami, you're badly injured. We have to get you help right away!"

"We'll get help. Not yet. Please," she added, her tears blurring her vision slightly as she reached a hand and grabbed his face. "Just give me a few minutes. Sit with me a few minutes, before we go back out."

Trowa stared at her a moment longer, hearing the urgency in her voice and fully understanding.

Back out to their problems.

He moved to lean against a wall and cradled her body in his arms, staring down at her and knowing he still looked as worried as he felt. Mercury leaned against his chest, taking a shaking breath and relaxing for the first time in the last few days as her tears began to subside. Despite wanting to get her help, Trowa felt relieved too, as if holding her that close would keep her safe and him happy.

* * *

"Then, it turned out that we weren't really your enemies, but were just there by accident. Usagi's crystal exploded in light, and you all realized the truth."

Venus had run through the events of the house as Jupiter was still passed out, and Heero had actually listened.

"Wait….crystal?"

She nodded. "Yes, the silver crystal. It bathed the whole room in light."

"And it was so pure," Heero muttered, as Quatre looked up sharply from where he was holding Jupiter. That was the first sign of progress Heero had made in remembering.

"Yes! You…you remember the crystal, don't you?" Venus asked, now sure he would remember.

He nodded.

"We fought late that night. That's when you were all taken away."

"And given that black-" Quatre began. Heero's eyes widened.

"Black potion. Andromache had her men hold us down. Trowa went first," Heero said, the memory coming back to him crystal clear.

Venus clapped. "Exactly! Oh…I think….actually I wasn't there."

Quatre was nodding, but froze when Heero did something very un-Heero like at Venus' goofiness. He laughed. He gave a short, good-natured, laugh.

"You must be out of it still Heero," Quatre said encouragingly. He stood.

"Venus, can you help him walk? Even if he hasn't remembered everything, we still need to go get help for him, and maybe he'll remember more along the way."

Venus nodded, helping Heero stand.

They left the mall, Venus calling someone to see where they could all meet up, and who else needed medical attention.

Jupiter had become conscious about fifteen minutes after leaving the mall, and was now walking alongside Venus. Quatre was now supporting Heero.

Everyone had agreed to meet up at the park before heading to the temple all dishevelled and scaring Rei's grandfather.

"Hey all!" Venus called suddenly, excited to see that everyone was together again.

"Hey Venus! Jupiter!" Sailor Moon shouted, having awoken refreshed a few minutes before. Tuxedo Kamen's arm had been patched up, and he was feeling much better as well since the day was ending. The sun was beginning to set and their moods were lifted.

Wufei refused to make Sailor Mars walk, and still carried her over, knowing she herself shouldn't walk. She was comfortable but feared she was annoying him.

"Mars! What happened?" Jupiter asked, rushing over.

Mars shrugged. "Unimportant." Wufei appreciated her statement.

"Mars, how did Wufei get back his memory completely?" Venus asked, approaching quickly with Quatre supporting Heero.

"I used a charm. If Heero's already remembered something, I can do it," Mars offered, as Wufei knelt to the ground with Mars. Venus nodded.

"He has!"

Quatre brought Heero over, and set him down with a groan.

"Let's get him some help right away too," Mars noted, pulling out one of her charms, a thin white paper with large black symbols.

Heero stared at her sceptically.

"What are you-"He was cut off as Mars chucked the paper at his forehead. It stayed on, and he reached up to remove it.

"Evil be gone!" She said. His eyes widened a moment, before he slumped backwards.

"Mars! What did you do?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Nothing," Mars said, frowning. "He should be fine."

"Maybe once he was returned to normal he felt those injuries worse," Duo commented.

"For once, you're right," Heero groaned in his monotone, shaking everyone from their small argument as Venus helped him stand.

Duo and Neptune arrived next. Uranus was walking tiredly next to Duo, and Saturn was still out like a light.

"Perhaps Saturn should heal his back when she gets up, it won't take that much out of her," Neptune said, everyone nodding.

Trowa arrived only a moment later, searching the group and spotting all of his friends.

"Does anyone else need medical attention?" He asked, gaining everyone's attention.

"Hey, you're all back to normal," Mercury commented weakly from where Trowa held her.

The two areas she had seriously needed attention were her stomach and leg, the rest things she would heal over night. The paramedics Mercury had shown the two civilian sin the theatre had been forced to leave only a few short minutes afterwards, and so Mercury had used her communicator to find out where everyone was meeting.

"Everyone else has been patched up but Heero and Mercury then," Sailor Moon said with a frown. "Mars can't walk because her side is so bad, Saturn is unconscious, everyone else looks beat up- I really hope they don't attack again tonight."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they just have to regroup for the night. According to what I've heard, four of you Senshi released those strange powers tonight. You've hurt many of Andromache's troops then," Tuxedo Kamen assured.

* * *

Kay, that was a long chapter! Chapter 12 is almost finished, the more reviews I get - the faster I finish it and post it!


	12. Restless

Chapter 12

Usagi yawned tiredly as she walked over by Mamoru. He was currently chatting with Quatre and Makoto, and she leaned over behind his shoulder to hear better. Quatre and Makoto's hands were clasped as they nodded at what Mamoru was saying, sending each other glances but otherwise silent.

"Yes, well they have surprise but not strategy- hey Usako," he greeted, stopping what he was saying momentarily. She smiled at him and glanced around the room.

Everyone had been fully patched up before they returned to the temple, and Hotaru had awakened and healed part of Heero's back, helping him to walk. Rei and Ami could now just limp around. They had only briefly discussed their experiences as everyone first shared their stories on the events of the day. They had also discussed the portals and Quatre had agreed to build something, although he was unsure of what, that would protect the portal and allow them access. Another key factor was that since the pilots had been to the enemy base, it would make it easier for the Senshi to track it down, if by teleportation. They needed the pilots now, especially since Andromache had given them some powers and enhanced their weapons. Setsuna had returned to them soon after they had arrived at the temple, seeming much more relaxed than before.

The Senshi had actually seemed pretty infatuated with their respective pilots upon arriving back at the temple though, and Usagi hid a smile at the thought of all of her friends pairing up.

Since the room had been tense after their conversation, Minako had suggested a rematch on the previous poker game.

Makoto and Quatre had declined, into their conversation, while Duo and Heero had re-joined the game again with Rei and Wufei trying it newly. Setsuna had agreed to join with Duo and also coach Hotaru. Luna and Artemis sat around the table with mild interest, watching Duo attempt to bluff and then lose.

"You know Duo, it's probably better you don't bluff," Luna offered.

Artemis nodded. "Right, you were laughing."

"I can't lie," he admitted with a laugh as Setsuna patted him encouragingly on the shoulder.

Wufei collected what he had won from the pot greedily, Rei looking only slightly ticked off. A smile soon began to play on her lips and she looked away. Heero shrugged at Minako, having been dealing and having bad cards from the start. Minako nodded and offered him a warm smile, glancing at her own measly pair of fives and wondering why she hadn't folded as well. Hotaru looked confused but Duo and Setsuna began to explain to her why she had also lost the hand.

Haruka and Michiru were currently seated away from the ruckus of the poker game and also away from the strategic conversation Mamoru, Makoto, Quatre, and Usagi were currently involved in.

The two were on a couch by the doorway into the remainder of the temple, quietly discussing the day's events.

"I think the Senshi are getting pretty attached to these new guys. Let's not forget that they were evil this morning," Haruka warned.

"Oh Haruka, you know that wasn't their fault. Anyways, that tear in the dimensional gate is permanent. I see no harm in the Senshi growing attached if the other side's portal is properly cared for. They can see each other again."

Haruka nodded, knowing that Michiru was talking logically but also feeling a bit over-protective.

"Well what about Setsuna? She seems to like that Duo guy, and we know she has to go back to the time gates."

"Well if she really likes him, she'll probably be able to leave the gates a little more and see him. It'll all work out, take it easy," Michiru added, grabbing Haruka's wrist lightly. "We'll probably be fighting all day tomorrow. At least relax tonight."

Haruka nodded, looking back at the poker game with mild interest as Hotaru and Duo stood, doing a dance of victory. Setsuna was laughing hysterically and Minako's face was down on her folded arms on the table. Her shoulders were shaking but when she looked up they saw that she was just laughing as well. Rei looked indignant, smirking slightly but talking animatedly with Wufei about how she had folded too soon and would have beat them. Wufei was talking about something revolving injustice, but Haruka couldn't quite hear what he was saying. Heero was lightly patting Minako on the back to calm her laughter, smirking and trying not to laugh himself.

"Where are Ami and Trowa?" Michiru asked suddenly, breaking Haruka from her thoughts on the poker table.

Haruka glanced up from where she was looking and her eyes began to travel the room as she stood.

"I don't know."

She headed out the door to the rest of the temple, Michiru at her heels.

"Haruka, it's fine. I was just asking."

"Right," Haruka said, passing through the fire room and into the kitchen. She frowned, moving to enter the second more traditional living room of the temple, but froze in the doorway.

Trowa and Ami were sitting across from each other, speaking quietly. She was looking down as she muttered something, his forehead leaned against hers and listening very carefully. Her legs were crossed through his and both of their hands were firmly clasped as they spoke, seemingly discussing something serious. Neither one of them noticed Haruka.

Michiru peeked over Haruka's shoulder and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away immediately and silently.

"What are we looking at?" Someone whispered behind them and Michiru jumped, glancing over at Usagi, who now had Mamoru in tow.

The two glanced in the room, Usagi grinning and Mamoru pulling her away as well.

"They're fine, see?" Michiru said once they were far away enough, tugging Haruka with her into the kitchen.

Usagi headed for the fridge, nodding energetically.

"For sure!"

"I didn't know Ami was _that_ serious about that guy, she seems really taken by him. I think I should check him out, make sure he's safe," Haruka commented as they entered the room again, sitting back down on the couch.

"You'll do no such thing! I like that they're so close, it's nice," Michiru lectured, her voice growing softer at the end. Usagi giggled but nodded in agreement.

"I didn't realize Ami and Trowa were that close either," Mamoru commented, having entered the house later and seen them together only just before the youma attack. Actually, Trowa and Ami had been checking out the crashing noise when everyone else was in bed, if he was remembering correctly. "He's good for her, I think."

"Yes, the two are definitely really close," Usagi said. "I love it, actually. Ami's not usually that impulsive, and from what I've heard from some of his friends, neither is Trowa."

* * *

"So Mamoru stopped him," Trowa said, and Ami nodded. She had refused to discuss anything that Laycaon had done in detail, but had explained to Trowa that the worst had been stopped.

"I can't believe he actually said that to you guys," Ami said, her eyes still downcast. Trowa closed his eyes a moment, taking a deep breath as he leaned his forehead against Ami's. He had to apologize to Heero.

"Heero was the only one that kept his cool. He told me that Laycaon would have outright said he'd done it, not talked in circles, if he had. Actually..." Trowa frowned, remembering that he'd yelled at Heero. "I said some pretty bad things to him."

"I'm sure he's forgiven you," Ami said, wincing slightly as she pulled away and shifted her legs from Trowa's, her stomach beginning to bother her. He reached out worriedly and she shook her head, grabbing his hand and lowering it.

"I'm fine. So, Andromache really wanted you. Did you...I mean...you know what I mean," Ami finished, blushing slightly but staring straight at him for an answer. He kept his cool, smirking slightly before he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it."

Ami began to nod, but stopped herself, curiosity taking over.

"You can tell me...actually, I want you to tell me. It will bother me," she admitted.

Trowa began to smile slowly. "Are you jealous Ami?"

"Yes," she said flatly, eyeing his laughing face. "I mean- she's a very beautiful woman. You at the time, didn't remember me...she was probably throwing herself at you!"

Trowa outright laughed. "Okay, okay. All she had time to do was ask everyone else to leave the room after she demoted Laycaon..." Ami's eyes widened as she leaned forwards with interest. "...and kiss me."

Ami's looked slightly disgusted, before she shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Okay...okay I can deal with that," she said with a nod in a flippant manner. "Fine...I just hope you thoroughly cleaned your mouth. We have no idea of knowing how many diseases that vile woman carried."

Trowa continued to laugh, managing to speak through his laughter. "D-don't worry."

Usagi and Mamoru, who were leaving the kitchen, heard the laughter from the room Ami and Trowa were in and continued walking towards the others.

'Good,' Usagi thought. 'I was afraid Ami was really down.'

"It's not funny!" Ami insisted, shaking her head as she began to get flustered. "I'm so serious!"

"You're right," he said, stopping his laughter. "I shouldn't be laughing."

"Right," Ami agreed, nodding her head vigorously. "After all, things could have been much wor-"

Trowa lips were upon hers before she realized he had moved, silencing her and causing her to laugh slightly against his mouth as she soon melted into his kiss. Trowa leaned forwards more, his hands on her face and shoulder. He stopped himself from moving forwards anymore suddenly, as he pulled away and reminded himself that Ami was still injured.

Ami moved to a comfortable position herself, blushing slightly when she realized he was still watching her as she met his gaze.

"You're beautiful Ami," he said, watching her blush deepen at the attention she was being given. She offered him a thankful smile, and they grew quiet.

A long silence suddenly passed between them. It was deafening...

Trowa was silent because he had been waiting to tell Ami he loved her since before the final battle at the estate. He was afraid to say it.

Ami had also realized she loved him after he had hidden her from Laycaon in the car, and yet she hesitated to say so as well.

The two sat in the silence of what they couldn't say for a few moments more, before someone from the other room hollered at them to come eat.

Trowa jumped to his feet, realizing he was letting the chance to tell her slip through his fingers. He helped her stand and she began to limp towards the doorway.

"Ami," he said, stepping forwards and catching her wrist. She stopped and turned, looking curious to say the least.

"I-" he froze, losing the sudden burst of confidence as she met his eyes. "I just wanted to say Merry Christmas."

She smiled warmly. "I had forgotten it was still Christmas. Merry Christmas Trowa."

He smiled back at her, inwardly cursing his hesitation as the two left the room.

* * *

An hour later, as everyone sat tiredly around the room, Luna leapt upon the table, catching their attention.

Clearing her throat, she spoke. "We still haven't addressed where the pilots are staying tonight."

"Since the gate is there, can't we just leave and come back?" Duo asked. Artemis shook his head and Setsuna spoke.

"Actually Duo, since you've all escaped her grasp it's quite likely that Andromache will go looking for you there first. Laycaon has also attacked the Senshi here at the temple too many times, so we can't risk all five of you staying here with Rei. Rei, you must also be cautious for your family. Perhaps only one pilot can stay at the temple?"

Rei nodded. "Grandpa won't care, we have plenty of extra guest space on this half of the temple."

"Alright," Usagi said. "Sounds good, but I can't bring anyone home. Dad would flip out."

"We're pretty much at capacity as well. I don't want anyone sleeping on the floor of our place, since Sets already has the couch," Michiru added.

"Well, Minako and I can share a room, leaving us one spare room, and a couch if necessary," Makoto said.

"I have room for one," Mamoru said with a shrug. "Same scenario as Michiru if I take two of you guys."

"I have room for someone as well," Ami added, doing the math in her head.

"Alright then," Usagi interjected, a devilish smile lighting her features. "Wufei stays at the temple, Heero and Quatre at Minako and Makoto's apartment, Trowa at Ami's place, and Duo with Mamoru!"

Luna jumped onto Haruka's shoulder, looking unhappy with the arrangements. Haruka glanced at the cat and stood.

"Usagi, that's not the greatest idea."

"What's wrong with it?"

Haruka opened her mouth to speak, glancing at Luna. Neither one of them wanted to say "raging hormones," so Haruka shrugged and grabbed her keys. Luna leapt off of her shoulder somewhat ticked off, and Artemis laughed.

"Let's go Michiru, Setsuna, Hotaru," Haruka recited, ushering them out the door and waving.

"We meet tomorrow morning to plan Haruka," Minako reminded and Haruka nodded.

The outers left, and Minako and Makoto stood as well.

"Heero, Quatre, come on. We don't live far," Makoto said, ushering for the two. "Goodnight all!"

"Goodnight everyone," Quatre bid, Heero nodding at the remaining occupants of the room and exiting as well.

"I'll drive you Usako," Mamoru offered, turning to Ami and Trowa. "I'll give you two a lift as well, since Ami probably shouldn't walk home."

"Thanks," she said. Usagi waved at Rei and Wufei, exiting hand in hand with Mamoru.

"Bye Rei," Ami said, heading out the door with Trowa at her heels. "Take care of that side."

"Take care of yourself as well," Rei called. "You're pretty roughed up!"

* * *

Andromache gave a scream of rage, echoing across her palace. Any nearby youma scrambled away, not wanting to feel her wrath.

It had been a very bad day for her. More than half of her troops were destroyed, her youma had been cowardly, the fool Laycaon was injured, and worst of all she had lost the pilots, mostly concerned about Trowa.

Laycaon was currently recuperating and she rushed to his chambers, glaring at his prone body. He was hooked up to a machine to speed up his healing. Part of her wanted to kill him on the spot, but she reminded herself that she still had some use for him. Everything was always part of a bigger plan.

Tomorrow, the Senshi and pilots would most likely attack her base. She would have to make a plan to destroy them with whatever resources she had left before she returned her attention to the city. Andromache was far smarter than she let on. Soon, the extent of her plan would be revealed. She had always had a Plan B. She would also get her Trowa back...

* * *

Once everyone was gone, Rei limped over to the table to begin to clean up a bit. She felt a hand encircle her wrist. Jumping slightly, she turned to her right to glance at Wufei.

"Not tonight Rei, you're hurt. I'll help you clean up in the morning."

"It won't take long," she insisted, but he shook his head.

"You'll feel a lot better in the morning."

She nodded reluctantly.

"Alright, well let me just show you to your room and get you set up."

"Just point me in the right direction and I'll figure it out. You get to bed," he said, and she shook her head.

"You're impossible….fine. The blankets are in that closet over there." She pointed to demonstrate, "and the room would be….anyone of the couple of rooms down the hall over there."

"Thanks," he said with a nod, smirking at her when she blushed slightly at his gaze.

"Okay…I'm going to bed now I guess," she said quickly. "Goodnight."

Wufei leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead, turning and exiting the room. "Goodnight."

Rei blushed at the action despite the fact that she had kissed him earlier, turning and heading to her room.

* * *

"Pillow fight!" Minako screamed as she was removing the extra pillows from the closet, chucking one at Heero and the other at Quatre. Quatre laughed good-naturedly and Heero smirked as he caught the pillow, tossing it aside.

"You guys suck," Minako announced, as Makoto entered the room.

"I made hot chocolate!"

Everyone immediately moved over to grab a mug from the tray she was holding, and she laughed.

"Woah, there's cookies on the counter too."

Minako was in the kitchen before she could blink, and she laughed.

"Well which one of you gets the room and who gets the couch?" Makoto asked the two.

"Since Heero's back is still kind of sore, I'm taking the couch and letting him have the room," Quatre explained. Makoto smiled.

"I got the cookies," Minako announced, emerging with the plate as everyone dug in, suddenly starving although they had eaten at the temple and it was near one o'clock.

After they had all sufficiently stuffed their faces, they put everything in the kitchen and began to get ready to sleep.

Quatre and Makoto were talking in the living room and Minako turned to glance at Heero.

"I'll show you where you'll be sleeping," she said, and he followed her silently out of the room and towards the room at the end of the hall.

"I'm sharing with Makoto since she has the bigger bed. You're sleeping here." As she spoke, she opened up the door. Minako's room was a typical college student's room. There were books covering the desk, and covering the books were piles of clothes. She had posters on the wall and her closet overflowed with clothes as well. She ran forwards and kicked everything inside, managing to shut the doors and turn to him, looking exhausted.

He smirked and continued to look around the room. Despite what the girls did, the room was so….normal. It surprised him for some reason, although he wasn't sure what he had been expecting.

"…..just down the hall. I'll find you a toothbrush."

His head snapped up and he realized Minako had been speaking to him as she tried to tidy up the room.

"Right," he said, and she smiled.

"Okay! I guess I'll go get you that tooth brush," she said, heading out of the room. He stared after her a moment, the room feeling strangely empty without her presence. His thoughts drifted back to the argument he and Trowa had shared in the cell. Trowa had quoted Odin Lowe, repeating the quote Heero had told him, about living with emotion outside the battlefield.

"_You don't live by that in the slightest." _Trowa's words echoed through his mind, and he was more bothered than he usually would be- because it was true.

Approaching a frame of her friends, he couldn't help but smirk as he watched how the girls pushed for room in the picture. Minako was in the center, grinning and pushing Usagi's head down.

'How do I feel about Minako?' The thought sounded foreign to him. She was clearly a beautiful girl, with a beaming personality to match. His thoughts travelled back to the store, when she had refused to leave him underneath the lights even though he had been trying to kill her. She had been so upset that she couldn't get him out, and had hurt herself doing it.

Minako re-entered the room, passing him the toothbrush and breaking him from his thoughts. He glanced down at her hand as he slowly accepted the toothbrush, noticing the several cuts on her palm and fingers, undoubtedly the same on the other hand. She had done that while lifting the lights of him thanks to the glass, and hadn't complained at all….

Realizing what he was staring at, Minako released the brush, Heero grabbing at it firmly immediately.

"It'll be gone by the morning, and I say that in all seriousness," she offered. He nodded once, and she stared at him a moment longer, seeming more tired than she had a few minutes before.

"Goodnight Heero, I'm going to bed," she said, offering a timid smile at how quiet he had grown and moving to leave the room.

"Goodnight," he responded as she walked out of the room.

She passed by Makoto, who was kissing Quatre, and prayed that Heero would step up and do the same to her as she entered Makoto's room. Minako considered herself old-fashioned in that sense. She was very outgoing, but she wanted a guy to totally sweep her off her feet. She had told this to Heero once at the estate, although she didn't remember why or how it had come up.

Makoto blushed as Quatre kissed her goodnight. Ever since he had the first time, his confidence seemed to have been lifted.

"Goodnight," he muttered against her mouth, and she smiled.

"Goodnight, and I mean it this time," she said, having said that several times and finally pulling away. "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride," Ami told Mamoru. "By Duo."

"Bye Ames! Bye Tro-man! Let's go see your awesome apartment Mamoru, which I'm sure is just as cool as your car," Duo said merrily.

Mamoru nodded with a laugh. "I'm sure it'll disappoint now, especially since you were staying in that huge estate with Quatre. Goodnight you two," he said to Ami and Trowa.

"Bye," Trowa also said, as the two in the car waved, having already dropped Usagi off.

Trowa and Ami climbed out of the car and turned to face Ami's apartment. It looked dark and foreboding, and Ami was reminded that it was only because she knew that it was empty that she felt that way.

She walked forwards, her limp catching Trowa's attention more than it had at the temple. The two opened up the door and entered as Ami started up the stairs, Trowa silently following.

About one flight up, she was tired, and she was sure it showed in her walk although she tried to hide it.

"How many more flights is it Ami?" Trowa asked, and she responded.

"Three."

Ami gasped as Trowa picked her up without consent and began to walk quickly up the steps.

"Trowa no, I'm heavy, too heavy to carry up all these steps," she protested, trying to squirm away.

"I don't mind you at all and you know it. Plus, it's quicker this way," he replied, and she stopped struggling as she realized he wouldn't give up.

They arrived at her floor in no time, and Trowa set Ami down as she began to dig in her pocket for a key. She realized immediately that the flowers were gone- although she hadn't been home in two days, and the building owner had probably had an employee remove them. It somehow relieved her.

She found her key and opened the door, switching on the lights as she entered the neat apartment. Trowa came in and shut the door behind him, glancing around the apartment with interest. The answering machine beeped, and Ami sighed. She had deleted all the messages two days before. Pushing the button, it said there were twenty new messages. Ami gave a detesting sigh, not wanting to hear them. The machine began to play, and she reached behind the stand it was on and pulled the plug, leaving her and Trowa in silence.

Trowa began to wander the neat apartment's living room, staring at the various picture frames and trinkets around the room. The apartment was immaculate, almost...untouched.

"You weren't home very much, were you?" He stated, and she laughed slightly, approaching where he stood.

"Neither of us were. I basically just slept here when I wasn't at the temple."

Trowa turned back to the pictures, smirking at the various ones of Ami as a toddler and the few of her in high school, such as graduation. He stopped in front of the high school grad pictures a moment longer. There was one of Ami and her friends, but it seemed windy and they were all kind of laughing, making it hard to see their faces. The picture of Ami by herself was the one that caught his attention. She was wearing her cap and smiling, but the smile seemed strained and almost...fake.

"Weren't you happy?" He asked, turning to look at her with a questioning glance. She peeked over his shoulder at the picture and shook her head.

"There had been a youma attack about an hour before graduation. We were all really beat up and in a lot of pain, and the ceremony took forever. Plus, Mamoru wasn't at the graduation since he was hurt so badly, and we all were feeling sad, for ourselves and Usagi. She was so worried."

Trowa nodded, his mind flying back to that first day they had met Makoto, when she had been working out on the punching bag so vigorously.

"_I think not knowing what's happening is way worse than being there."_

_Ami nodded. "This won't help." The pilots glanced at each other, wondering what was going on._

_Makoto seemed to remind herself of the others and stretched her arms, plastering a smile on her face. Ami recognized it, knowing that she and her friends had used this fake smile too many times._

"_Come on," she said, forcing a laugh. "Let's do something else."_

_Trowa glanced between the two, feeling the strain on both girls from where he stood. He watched as Ami headed for a cross track, one of his favorite cardio machines. Everyone dispersed, beginning to work out._

The same strained smiles….he would have to remember to look for it on Ami. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he turned back to Ami.

The clock read 1:30, and Ami sighed.

"I hope the couch is okay. We have my mom's room now I guess, but I haven't been in there yet."

"It's fine," Trowa replied, approaching her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should just get to sleep. It's been a long day."

Ami nodded somewhat absent-mindedly. "Let's get you set up then."

The two pulled out blankets and a pillow, Ami heading off in search of a toothbrush and perhaps a change of clothes for Trowa. He was still in his general's outfit and probably couldn't stand the sight of himself anyways.

She remembered that her uncle had come to visit the year before, and had forgotten some of his clothes at their apartment before he headed back to England. He was about Trowa's height and only slightly heavier than him. Where had her mom put them though?

Ami rummaged through the closet by her room, finally finding a bag with some clothes in it. He hadn't left much, but there was a pair of sweat pants, a plain white t-shirt and a sweater.

Picking up the back and bringing the toothbrush into the living room, she saw that Trowa had already arranged himself a make-shift bed on the couch.

"Very nice," she commented, passing him the toothbrush and then rummaging through the bag. "I've found a few of my uncle's clothes he left here last year. He was about your size, and I'm sure you're sick of that outfit."

He nodded, taking the bag and pulling out the clothes.

He could sleep in the sweats and t-shirt, and could probably wear the sweater with the slacks he had on now the next day, at least until he was able to go home. Trowa hoped that the ordeal would end soon; it was difficult to wait and see what happened.

"That bathroom next to the kitchen is all yours; I have one in my room. Do you need anything?"

He shook his head. "Thanks," he said, wrapping her in a hug as she allowed herself to relax against him, suddenly tired. "I have everything I need. You get to bed."

She smiled as well, looking up. "Okay, okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Trowa replied, the two sharing a quick kiss before Ami headed down the hall towards her room.

Trowa washed up and changed into the sweats and t-shirt, heading into the living room and switching off all the lights, very ready for sleep.

* * *

At 3:45 a.m., Trowa was startled awake by a cry. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he listened closely as he peered around the darkened living room. Again, he heard a small sound, but it was faint.

Standing, he made his way out of the living room and down the hall carefully, unable to see much and not knowing where exactly he was headed.

The apartment had grown quiet now, and Trowa wondered if Ami was having another nightmare. Opening the door to the first room, he realized that it was Ami's mother's room, still untouched, and quickly closed the door. Moving to the next room on the left, Trowa quietly opened the door.

He could hear muffled sobs now, from beneath her blanket as his eyes adjusted to the dark better.

"Ami?"

She turned, her tear-streaked face evident even in the dim lighting of the room.

"S-sorry. I didn't want to wake you."

Moving into the room quickly, he wrapped his arms around her trembling body and she clutched him back immediately, crying more although he wasn't sure why.

"Did you have one of those weird dreams?"

She nodded, and tried to speak through her tears. "I'm being silly. I shouldn't even give it a second thought."

"What happened in the dream?"

"D-don't worry about it. Please, just go back to sleep."

He held her tighter, hating that her tears had yet to stop and not wanting to leave her so upset. "It's okay."

She nodded, growing quiet, although tears still streamed down her face.

"Come on," he urged, shifting his arm and pushing her lightly to get her to lay back down, a task that wasn't too difficult since she was barely sitting up to begin with. Her hold on him did not lessen, and he laid down with her. Her head fell tiredly against his chest, her tears beginning to slow. He stared down at her with slight shock, wondering what she could have dreamt.

She was soon asleep. Trowa himself had intended to leave the room once she had slept, but ended up falling asleep as well.

* * *

Trowa blinked open his eyes, the light in the room feeling far too bright. He had closed the blinds in the living room….

Remembering where he was immediately, he stopped himself from moving and glanced down. Ami had shifted only slightly from the night before, now lying on her back but leaned against him. She seemed to finally be sleeping peacefully and he hated to wake her if they had slept too late.

He looked around the unfamiliar room, spotting a digital clock on her nightstand. It was 9:13. They had promised to meet everyone at the temple by eleven…

"Ami," he whispered, but she only shifted slightly and didn't awaken. He laughed lightly, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest with every breath. She really must have been tired. His eyes travelled upwards, to her face. Her lips were parted slightly, lightly exhaling breaths, and her cheeks were stained with tears from the night before.

He carefully shifted onto his side, attempting to sit up without waking her and showering so she could sleep a few more minutes. His plan failed, and her eyes flew open as her hands flew over them immediately, also hating the brightness of the room.

Trowa smiled, sitting up all the way and brushing her hair from her face. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't want to wake you."

She blushed, quickly sitting up and remembering the previous night. "Don't worry, I should be sorry. I ruined your sleep last night."

He paused, shaking his head. "No. What was your dream about?"

"Um…" she paused as well, staring at him a moment before shaking her head. "We'll talk over breakfast."

She sat up fully, beginning to climb from the bed tiredly. He grabbed her wrist before she could climb off.

"Hey," he said, watching her carefully. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she responded, her face beginning to look as upset the night before. She stared back at his intense gaze, guilt taking over her as she feared her self-pity was making him miserable. He was being so good to her, he always was.…

He leaned forwards and placed a kiss on her forehead, almost encouraging her to speak. She blushed lightly in response.

"Trowa, I-" she froze, unable to believe how easily the words were about to slip from her mouth. She glanced at the clock. "Let's just wash up. You can shower first, I'll get you a towel."

'Okay, so 'Trowa, take a shower' is clearly not the same as 'I love you,' but I'm getting there,' she thought.

He nodded, watching her climb out of the bed and head out of the room, before he also headed into the living room, picking up the pants he was wearing the day before and grabbing the sweater Ami had found for him. It was good he had remembered to grab the clothes, lest there be another towel fiasco which involved a very embarrassed Ami and laughing Duo.

"Here," Ami said a couple of minutes later, entering the living room with a white towel. "The shower is in my room, so go ahead. I'll see what I can do about breakfast, since I'm sure there isn't much food in the house. I should go grocery shopping…" Ami trailed off, walking from the room and into the kitchen as she began to rummage around.

"I'll be quick," Trowa said as he passed by the kitchen and headed into the room.

Ami nodded while staring disdainfully at the fridge.

She had been gone over two weeks. Her poor mother, God rest her soul, been gone more than one. Needless to say, the fridge was lacking in anything edible.

The two would just have to grab breakfast on the way out. She headed into the living room, putting away Trowa's blanket and setting it and his pillow aside. She tossed his general's jacket aside somewhat angrily as she tidied up, her thoughts momentarily straying back to the dream she had the night before.

Once Trowa finished and was dressed, Ami headed into the bathroom to wash up and shower. She tried to be quick, noticing that her wounds were almost better apart from the more major ones: her back, stomach and upper leg. One more day…

She quickly got dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and pale green long sleeved shirt, drying off her hair and heading into the living room where Trowa was waiting.

He stood with a smile when she entered the room, approaching her and wrapping her in a hug. She happily hugged him back, her mood lately always lifted when his was.

"You look better," he commented, and she nodded, looking up at him.

"Thanks I think. My uncle's sweater fits you perfectly."

"It does. What are we doing about breakfast?"

"The fridge is empty. I figured we'd grab it to go on the walk."

He nodded. "It would be interesting to see the city as we walk to the temple anyways."

"Good, let me grab a jacket," she said, and turned back around to glance at him. "Oh, you need a jacket. I wonder if-"

"Don't worry, this sweater is heavy enough." She smiled and nodded, speaking. "Okay, just a sec."

She headed into her room and grabbed her jacket, reaching into her wallet and grabbing some cash, shoving it in her pocket. If they were going to fight later, she didn't want anything on her. Making sure she had her wand, she headed back out to the living room to head out.

Trowa was already waiting for her at the door. She offered him a smile, as he opened up the door. She closed and locked it, turning to head down the stairs. His hand was extended for her, and she grabbed a hold of it, the two taking the stairs at a leisurely pace.

Once they had reached the bottom, Trowa approached the front doors and paused.

"Which way?"

"We're heading left," she explained, as the two continued down the street at a normal pace, still having about thirty minutes until they were needed at the temple. They soon reached more populated areas, and Ami searched for a coffee shop, needing caffeine and knowing they could grab breakfast to go there as well.

Reaching the one nearest to her house, Ami tugged at Trowa's hand to gain his attention, the two turning into the shop. Trowa was somewhat surprised at how much further his time was in technology, however for the difference in years it should have been more obvious when walking down the street.

"I need a coffee," she explained. "They have bagels and sandwiches to go as well, since we're sort of pressed for time."

Trowa nodded, staring at the menu displayed above the counter.

The two exited the shop five minutes later, each carrying a coffee and munching on a bagel.

"How much further is the temple?" Trowa inquired, as he was finishing up his bagel. Passing by a garbage can, he tossed his garbage away and continued to drink his coffee.

Ami looked up thoughtfully, before speaking. "At least another fifteen minutes."

Trowa nodded, watching as Ami also finished her bagel and rid herself of the garbage in a waste bin a bit further away, taking a sip of her coffee.

She seemed very happy, and he hated to ask about her dream, but he had a feeling it was more than just a regular nightmare. Almost as if...it involved him somehow.

"Ami," he said, and she glanced up at his tense tone, frowning.

"Yes?"

"Are you...up for talking about that dream now?"

She wasn't, but she knew he needed an explanation.

"It was so weird," she admitted, taking another timid sip of her coffee. "I remember it so vividly. It started out like a nice dream. It was me and my mom, and for some reason we were at Tokyo's park, near the lake. She had a picnic blanket set up, and we were both just munching on sandwiches and discussing the weather. Then, everything changed. She started asking me why I hadn't been home the day before, and I told her that I was at the temple- but in the dream I said it knowing it was a lie. Then she turned around and wouldn't speak to me for a minute, and in my hands..." Ami stopped, feeling sick as her eyes began to sting. Trowa had a feeling she was going to say something pretty bad. He took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. She nodded, taking a shaky breath, before continuing.

"In my hand there was suddenly a knife..." He frowned, urging her to continue, and her voice began to tremble as continued. "...and I started viciously stabbing her with it. She screamed and cried, a-and begged me to stop-" Ami couldn't speak anymore for the moment, her vision blurring from her tears. Trowa stopped walking, hugging her.

"You don't have to finish, it's okay," he said, regretting asking her since it had upset her so much.

"I do," she said, looking up at him. "I mean...I should. It has to do with you." He nodded, his suspicions confirmed, and she grabbed his hand, urging for him to walk as they spoke.

"I'm okay," she assured, although her voice suggested otherwise. "We don't want to be late."

He did not argue, and she continued with her dream.

"After she fell to the ground, you were there. You walked up to me and sat on the ground by her body. You took her wrist in your hand and checked her pulse, before glancing up at me. You spoke to me..."

"_She's dead," Trowa said, looking up and watching her carefully. Ami nodded stoically, staring into his eyes with no regret._

"_I know."_

"_You killed her."_

"_I did."_

"_Who's next?" He asked, his voice changing from calm, as if he were stating facts, to questioning. _

_Ami stood, still calm and not shaken in the slightest after killing her mother. She approached Trowa, sitting down in front of her mother's body, who was between them. She reached a bloodied hand to his face, holding it against his cheek and staring at him, before speaking. Her voice was low yet clear, and lacking of any emotion as she spoke._

"_You."_

_He nodded, unmoving, and spoke again. _

"_I know."_

"_Do you?" Ami watched him a moment, before speaking. "How will I kill you then?"_

"_If you don't let me go back to Andromache, you may as well just do to me what you did to your mother."_

_She nodded, leaning back and grasping the knife she had stabbed her mother with in her hand, showing it to him._

"_I suppose you know the answer then," she said stiffly, plunging the knife into his chest._

Ami burst into tears at this part of the dream, although she did not stop walking lest they be late. Trowa hugged his arm around her shoulders as they walked, unsure of what to do. The dream was bizarre, to say the least. He knew Ami wasn't anything like her dream, but just about anybody would be disturbed after having that dream. Her crying upon seeing him the night before also made sense.

"It was just so vivid, I could feel the blood splattering on me from my mom and you, and I just kept going despite her screams. I woke up right when I stabbed you, but what you told me made me sure Andromache was behind the dream. She was basically saying that I was signing your death warrant by not handing you over." Ami stopped, trying to collect herself. "The dream was bad enough, but making me dream about killing my _mom_, hearing her begging for her life...it was too cruel..." Ami's voice trailed off, wanting to say nothing more on the matter.

The two were just outside the temple at this point, the steps in view. Trowa stopped walking, turning her to face him as he wiped at her tears.

"I know that the dream alone was enough to make you upset...but I don't want you to take anything in that dream to heart. Andromache implied that anyone who dies has you to blame, and that's not true."

Ami nodded, knowing he was right and yet disturbed beyond belief by the dream.

"Sorry I made you talk about it," he said, and she shook her head as he let his hands slip from her face, her cheeks stained but no longer crying.

"No, I feel better, really," she added offering him a small smile. He nodded.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the steps. "These stairs are long and we're going to be late."

The two headed up the steps quickly, reaching the top in record time. Ami slid open the door, surprised that everyone was already there. Trowa entered behind her, sliding the door closed and also turned, eyes scanning the room.

"Good morning everyone. Are we late?" Ami asked, looking shocked that they were the last to arrive.

"Right on time Ames," Rei assured, standing from where she sat next to Wufei with her small cup of herbal tea. "Did you...did you want to wash your face before we got started?"

Ami nodded immediately, definitely not wanting everyone staring at her tear-stained face while they talked. "I'll be right back," she said, and Rei sat down. Trowa headed in, nodding and smiling slightly at everyone in greeting. He sat next to Quatre and Duo, who shot him a questioning glance. Trowa shrugged in response, and everyone around the room simultaneously sighed as they realized they were going to get no information out of Trowa. He smirked and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms.

Ami emerged a minute later looking refreshed, smiling half-heartedly at Usagi and Mamoru and sitting down next to Makoto, nodding at Minako and Heero. Michiru grabbed her shoulder from behind her, and Ami offered a warm smile of greeting at her, Haruka, and Michiru.

Setsuna watched her a moment, knowing what was up since she had visited the time gates, before nodding. "Don't think twice about it Ames."

Ami nodded, everyone looking confused but dropping it.

"Okay, so what's the plan Sets?" Minako asked. "Do we charge the base?"

"Sort of Mina," Setsuna said, smiling slightly. "My goal is to take down Laycaon and Andromache and destroy their entire base, however what we're up against is beyond me."

"You all took out more than half her troops yesterday," Heero said, everyone nodding.

"Right," Duo said. "I bet she threw a fit once she realized Tro-man was gone as well."

Ami and Trowa shared a glance, before averting their gazes and looking at Usagi.

"Well I think we can win this," Usagi said confidently. "We always do."

"It's better to be cautious," Rei said, and Makoto disagreed immediately.

"Rei, we've charged enemy bases several times. We're always careful, but it has to be done. What's different now?"

"Mako," Ami reasoned. "She obviously knows we're coming. She wants us dead and she wants the pilots back. I know we've also walked into plenty of traps at enemy bases, and paid with our lives."

Quatre and Wufei shared a glance at Ami's words, turning their attention to Michiru.

"Well, Andromache will most likely separate us once we enter. She'll throw everything she has at us."

"Right," Haruka said. "She would rather loose all of her troops than loose her base to us."

"I don't know," Hotaru said. "She wants Tokyo. We were her second priority."

"Not any more Hotaru," Mamoru corrected. "If she can defeat us, she can take her time to regroup her troops and come back for Tokyo later."

"Well, walking into a trap and dying with honor is better than allowing the evil onna to kill more people in the city," Wufei said, shrugging. "We have no other options."

"Wufei's right guys," Usagi said. "Anyways, I'm sure the crystal can help us!"

"The crystal should be used as a last case scenario Usagi," Rei reminded, Usagi nodding.

"Why?" Duo asked. "Usagi accidently used it at the estate."

"The crystal reacted on its own that day, and it really didn't do much. In reality, it drains its user, Usagi. It can kill her if she pushes herself too far," Setsuna explained. Duo nodded, seeming slightly confused.

"Well if I had my computer, I could have analyzed the base immediately upon teleportation. We could have prevented being separated that way," Ami said thoughtfully.

"What happened to it again?" Luna asked. Artemis looked up in thought, not having realized her computer was destroyed.

"Laycaon's power level broke it before Ami was sent to the other dimension," Makoto supplied, as the group reached no conclusion in their discussion.

"Which of the Senshi haven't exhibited those strange new powers yet?" Artemis asked.

"Mercury, Venus, and Pluto," Haruka said, everyone nodding.

"Plus, everyone who showed the power before has yet to show it again," Mamoru added.

"I believe Wufei is right," Quatre said a minute later. "We really do have no other options."

"I just want to get this whole mess over with," Haruka said. "I want life to go on as normal."

"Then let's do this," Sailor Moon said. "We'll teleport to the base with the aid of the pilots and try to finish Andromache off."

"Right," the group agreed, standing up.

"Pilots, you all have your weapons?" All nodded at Setsuna's question.

"Fine, Mars Crystal Power!"

Everyone followed suit, temporarily blinding the pilots before they stood in the living room with the transformed Senshi.

"Let's head outside," Mercury suggested.

"Why?" Trowa questioned.

"Our teleportation gets a bit messy," Mercury explained. "Even if just temporarily." Everyone began to file out, but Trowa lingered behind, grabbing Heero around the arm as everyone exited. Sailor Uranus shot them a sidelong glance but continued.

"What?" Heero asked. Trowa knew he didn't have much time, but felt the need to say something.

"About the other day...what I said to you in the cell-"

Heero shook his head, glancing around before speaking. "You were right. I hadn't realized how much I'd moved away from my own ideals until you pointed it out."

Trowa nodded unsurely, knowing that Heero wouldn't have held a grudge even if he hadn't apologized.

"Let's go," Heero said, and the two followed everyone else outside.

The Senshi stood in a large circle, making room for Trowa and Heero to join Wufei, Quatre, duo, and Mamoru in the center.

Trowa shot Mercury a questioning glance, and she nodded at Sailor Pluto, who was explaining.

"When the Senshi teleport, you five must all concentrate on the base."

Everyone nodded, and Venus and Mars, whom had separated to let Trowa and Heero through, clasped hands.

"Ready?" Sailor Moon asked. Everyone nodded.

"SAILOR TELEPORT!"

The ground around them began to lift, and the pavement was torn up as a strong wind began to tear through the area. The pilots watched in shock before they suddenly disappeared. Luna and Artemis shielded their eyes, not surprised in the least as the ground reformed and the pavement returned to its spot, the wind dying.

The group appeared in a grassy field, surprised that the sun was setting here even though it had been day a moment before. In the distance, a massive mid-evil looking castle loomed, set on a hill slightly and looking worse-for-wear. A large wood draw bridge sat over a body of water, open and inviting. The large stones it was built from seemed to be decaying, and yet there were a couple of lights inside the castle from what they could see.

"This...is the base," Venus said, disbelief lining her voice. "Spooky."

Everyone nodded in agreement at her words, eyeing the massive structure disdainfully.

"I wonder what country this is," Mercury commented. "She chose a pretty deserted area to make her base."

"It could be Romania," Tuxedo Kamen commented, glancing around. "Folklore would keep suspicious people away from the ruins, especially since this is the countryside."

Neptune nodded at his words, as the group began to walk forwards.

"Be prepared for anything, she likes to surprise us," Pluto said, striding forwards confidently.

Everyone nodded, approaching the massive draw bridge.

Mercury felt Trowa lightly grab her wrist as they first stepped onto the bridge, almost as if he were afraid she would be immediately separated from him. The group walked cautiously over the bridge, entering the walls of the castle. They were standing in a large dirt field, and in front of them were the doors leading inside. The two torches by each wooden door suddenly began to burn, and the group simultaneously stepped back as they eyed the doors with contempt. The pilots all drew their modified guns, apart from Wufei, who held his now very effective katana.

"Okay, she's clearly going to separate us once we enter those doors," Jupiter said with a frown.

"Before we enter, everyone pair off," Sailor Moon commanded. Tuxedo Kamen stepped besides her. Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn grouped together. Quatre stepped besides Jupiter, and Wufei grabbed Sailor Mars' elbow. Venus and Heero stood together, as did Mercury and Trowa. Pluto and Duo stood together as well, and she began to speak.

"Our best bet is to use a buddy system, more or less. Everyone stays with the person they have been paired with in the case of us being separated. That way, no one will be left alone and defenseless."

Everyone then began to approach the doors, knowing pairing off was the best plan they could come up with and feeling somewhat less confident about that fact.

Quatre and Jupiter, first to reach the doors, paused momentarily. Jupiter opened up the door, Quatre readying his gun as the two entered cautiously. Venus and Heero were at their heels, just as careful, followed by Pluto and Duo. Mercury and Trowa followed their silent friends next, followed by Mars and Wufei. They all stood in a large dark room, which had several doors and hallways spanning from it.

Sailor Moon began to head inside as well, followed by Tuxedo Kamen, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, but gasped when the door suddenly swung closed, leaving the five of them outside.

"Hey!" She shouted, pulling at the handle and beating on the door.

Wufei and Mars, the last to enter, turned and began to try and pull open the door as well, but it did not move. Everyone inside the castle immediately understood something was wrong, flocking towards the door.

"World Shaking!" Uranus shouted, her attack connecting with the door but not breaking it open.

The Senshi outside the door turned and gasped when the draw bridge they had crossed to enter the castle's gates began to close, stopping them from leaving.

Saturn and Neptune ran at the bridge but it finished closing and left them in the dim light of the few lit torches.

"What do we do now?" Sailor Moon wailed, but Tuxedo Kamen shook his head.

"We're exactly where Andromache wants us to be. She let us enter the gates of the castle, but she doesn't want us inside the castle with the others yet. She must be planning something, for us and for them. Be on your guard," he warned, as Uranus nodded in agreement and looked around the dirt space between the castle gates and the walls leading inside the castle. What a place to get stuck in...

"Her attack didn't even dent the door," Jupiter said, panic setting in as the group inside the castle looked in every direction for any signs of attack.

"This isn't how we expected her to separate us," Venus said, glancing around. "Do we pick a direction and walk?" Duo opened his mouth to voice his opinion on the matter, but stopped when someone else spoke.

"No Venus...you pick a direction and run."

Everyone began to glance around wildly, searching for Andromache since that had undoubtedly been her voice.

A huge gust of wind suddenly began to tear through the room the ten of them stood in. Wufei grabbed Mars' arm and stepped closer, unsure of what Andromache was trying to do. Venus backed up in front of Heero, who grabbed on to her shoulder. Pluto and Duo stood close their eyes darting around the room for any sign of what was happening. Quatre clasped Jupiter's hand, and she tightly clasped back as the room began to get more dark, any torches that had been lit blowing out.

Mercury felt Trowa pull her towards him when the wind intensified. No one could open their eyes now, and she threw her arms over her face and tried to see where the wind was coming from.

A series of screams filled the room as each pair was suddenly thrown to the ground by the wind, scattered in different parts of the room temporarily. The wind did not die down as they all held tightly to each other, unable to recognize anything in the room besides the person they were each clinging to.

Suddenly, the wind died, and Mercury blinked open her eyes. She felt Trowa shift from on top of her as he stood, surveying the room. At the absolute silence, she sat up as well, him helping her get to her feet.

They were completely alone- in a different room than the one they had just been standing in with their friends.

"H-how did she transport us here? I didn't even realize we had moved," Mercury said, suddenly fearing the power Andromache possessed. Trowa nodded, looking just as disturbed by the situation as he looked around.

"She separated us as we thought- but she locked Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn out of the castle first. Although I'm sure she probably shut the gate and left them trapped in the space between the castle and the outer walls."

Mercury nodded. "You're absolutely right. Our friends are probably all in different parts of the castle. I hope they all stayed together."

"I'm sure they did," he assured, as Mercury finally began to take in the area around her. They were in a massive room- but not just any room. Torches lit the walls perfectly, and the room, although luxurious, had various possessions in it. It was someone's private quarter's; a bedroom. A large king-sized bed sat in the corner, with deep red sheets.

Mercury's gaped slightly, catching herself and blinking at Trowa. "Why would they..."

"I...I don't want to know," he decided, his thought trailing angrily towards Laycaon. "Let's get out of here."

He grabbed her hand and began to maneuver them towards the door, feeling his heart begin to pound heavily when it was locked. What was Andromache up to?

"Trowa, there's another door over there," Mercury said, pointing and trying to keep her cool. Something was seriously wrong with Andromache and Laycaon and she wasn't sticking around to find out any more.

The two went running at the door, but gasped and backed up immediately when out of the door walked Laycaon and Andromache. Laycaon waved his hand over the door and it clearly locked, as he turned to smile brightly at the two. He looked completely rejuvenated.

Trowa readied his gun, pointing it at the two menacingly as he stepped in front of Mercury.

"What game are you two playing at?" He asked suspiciously, and Andromache giggled slightly and took a step forwards. Mercury felt her stomach flip-flop at Andromache's laughter, and her heart rate began to speed up as Laycaon and Andromache shared a secretive smile. What was it that she and Trowa were unaware of?

Hey, that's all for now. My next chapter is almost done as well, so review and I'll post quicker!


	13. Lost in the Abyss

* * *

Chapter 13

"Listen very carefully now," Andromache said. "I always get what I want, Trowa Barton. Ever since I realized I wanted you, I've put forth a very complex plan to have you." A silence filled the room as Mercury and Trowa shared a glance. She could feel her heart racing. Why was she so anxious?

"You're wasting your time," Trowa said coldly, removing the safety from his gun. "I'm back to normal now and won't allow myself to be turned again."

Andromache nodded, looking very serious now. "Yes Trowa, but you forget that I was prepared for that as well. Tell me, when you had missions in the war, you must have had some operations that did not go as planned?"

Mercury tightened her hold on Trowa's free hand, not liking how confident Andromache was. Laycaon smiled at her knowingly from where he stood behind Andromache, and she began to feel slightly nervous.

No...not nervous. Something else...

Trowa nodded at Andromache's question, gripping Mercury's hand back just as tightly and wondering why she was suddenly panicked.

"When your operations did not go as planned, you always had a second plan ready, Plan B, to make sure you finished. Correct?" Andromache asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded again, not liking how Andromache was suddenly seeming more threatening, not by her actions but by what she was implying. Mercury kept her grip on Trowa firm, feeling funny all of a sudden. Laycaon's grin at her widened, and she frowned. What did they know that she and Trowa didn't? They were missing something……

"Well Pilot, I always have a Plan B," Andromache said, grinning. "She's standing right behind you."

Trowa's heart sped up and he glanced back and down, at Mercury, who looked up at him, confused. She looked a little paler than before. Was she afraid?

He turned back to Andromache, who now had a small stop watch in her hand that Laycaon had passed to her. What were they doing?

"What is that?" He asked roughly, not caring for either one of their secretive smiles.

"Patience, Trowa. My plan is coming into effect, and this stop watch is telling us when." She held up the watch to show him and Mercury, as minutes were being counted down on the watch. "While we wait though, I guess I should give credit to another faithful employee of mine who made this all possible."

Andromache snapped her fingers, and a woman stepped out from the shadows of the room. Trowa and Mercury gasped. They hadn't even noticed her standing there, it was...

"Penelope," Mercury stuttered, watching the woman in front of them begin to smile. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, but perhaps she was just surprised. How could Penelope have been under Andromache's control the entire time? Andromache was definitely brilliant; no one had suspected Penelope of a thing.

"Correct! One hundred points for Mercury! Next question is worth two hundred! Penelope, the sweet innocent maid at the old Winner Estate is one of my minions! She deserves an award for the fine acting job she did! Now Trowa, this question is for you. Tell me- what does Penelope's presence in the estate have to do with my back-up plan?"

Trowa stared from Andromache and Laycaon to Penelope briefly. All looked expectant, but none of them were staring at him, they were staring at Mercury. He glanced back down at her, and realized she was beginning to hunch over, one hand still gripping his while the other hand was rested on her left knee. She was beginning to breathe heavy and he gasped as the stop watch Andromache was holding began to shrill loudly.

At the sound, Andromache began to laugh, Laycaon and Penelope joining in. He crouched down, watching with wide eyes as Mercury's body began to stop cooperating with her. She sank to the ground, gripping onto his hand as if he was her lifeline.

"She...she must have poisoned me," she breathed out, and Andromache laughed harder.

"Right again! To clarify, once I realized I wanted you Trowa, I made a Plan B. I knew that brainwashing you might not be enough, so I got to Penelope. I needed someone who always worked closely with the chef, someone other than Setsuna, who could easily be reverted back to normal. Once I realized that I was going to capture and brainwash all of you, after the incident at the lake, I had Penelope poison Mercury's drink at breakfast. The poison doesn't work right away. Its magic takes time to enter the blood stream. The stopwatch that just went off indicated that the poison should begin to drastically take effect on Mercury's blood stream. She most likely has one to two hours left to live."

Trowa felt his blood run cold at Andromache's words, turning his full attention to Mercury. She seemed to be in a lot of pain, gripping her stomach from the floor and looking scared.

"D-don't worry," Mercury said gripping his hand, and he began to tremble slightly. How was it possible for the potion to take so many days to work? She had been fine a moment ago...it was too shocking.

"There's a catch, Trowa my dear. I have an antidote that can quickly take effect and immediately stop her from dying. However, if you want the antidote you must willingly take another brainwashing potion to become mine once more. The choice is yours..."

Mercury began to shake her head from where she lay, placing a steel grip on Trowa's shirt. "Don't even think about it."

"Well," Andromache said, turning away from the two of them. "Like I said, it's your decision. We have to go deal with the other Senshi, Penelope and I, but Laycaon here will stay to watch you. When you do 

decide to take the potion, he will give Mercury the antidote, and give her a head start of five minutes to run before we go after her. Or you could just let her die...you have one to two hours."

Andromache snapped her fingers, she and Penelope disappearing from the room. Laycaon sat on the bed in the corner somewhat disinterestedly, setting down a small black vile similar to the one Trowa had been forced into taking before on a small table and smirking up at him expectantly.

* * *

"What the hell," Duo muttered, climbing to his feet and surveying the area. Pluto stood up as well, stretching her limbs and looking around. The two stood in the center of a large old hall, possibly once a ballroom. It was round in shape, and torches lit the walls around them. However, the stones of the castle were decaying, revealing its age, and the room was bare.

"I hope everyone else is alright," Pluto commented, thinking back to all the possible time streams she had seen the day before.

"I'm sure they're cool Sets, let's just get out of here and find them," Duo suggested. She nodded, glancing around.

"Right." The two immediately made a dash for the door, but gasped and leapt back as it swung closed. Pluto frowned, stepping forwards.

"We'll just have to break it down."

"Oh, you can try," a voice above them said. "However, I expect you'll find the same results as the door that locked the others outside of the castle."

Both spun to face Andromache, who had her arms crossed and looked pretty angry.

"You've both been nuisances. You both were once working under me, and Duo over here stole back that stupid time staff you are holding. All in all, if this was a job, I'd have fired both of you."

"Meh," Duo said flippantly. "You didn't have good benefits anyways."

Andromache frowned, landing on the ground before them.

"I didn't enjoy your sense of humor either, pilot," she said, "and I don't leave loose ends. After someone's worked for me, they either continue to do so…or die."

Snapping her fingers, a group of about thirty youma appeared behind her. "You all took out many of my troops yesterday- but not all of them." She shrugged, continuing. "Enjoy."

She disappeared, leaving Duo and Pluto facing the large group of youma.

* * *

Quatre and Jupiter wandered the halls of the castle, having absolutely no sense of direction in the huge structure and searching for their friends.

"Master Quatre! Wait!" A voice called behind them. Jupiter frowned, recognizing the voice, and she knew Quatre also had from how his grip on her hand tightened.

The two spun around, facing Penelope, the maid at the estate. She didn't look like they remembered. Her brown hair was let loose from its modest bun, and she wore a tight outfit much like Andromache's.

"P-Penelope," Jupiter spat out, backing up a step. "What have they done to you?"

Penelope smiled, taking another step forwards. "They've just opened my eyes to other possibilities."

Quatre frowned. How had they gotten to her? He was guilty for exposing his employees to all of this...

"No worries, Winner," Penelope said, in a harsh voice unlike her own. "I like this new me. I'm powerful and confident."

"We have to turn her back to normal," Jupiter muttered. "We can't hurt her."

"What do we do?" Quatre muttered back. Penelope looked impatient, although she could hear them. She held up a gun much like Quatre's modified one.

"You run."

* * *

"There must be a way inside, I have a really bad feeling," Sailor Neptune said as she surveyed the large structure of the castle.

Uranus nodded, also looking for a way into the structure. How could they come this far and not be allowed inside? Sailor Moon sat somewhat defeated at the steps by the door, Saturn at her side and looking equally downcast. Tuxedo Kamen surveyed the gate on the other side, to see how it could be opened as well and at least let them out of their current trap….

"I'm sure there's a way in as well," a voice said.

The five of them spun around or stood, all grouping together and turning to face Andromache.

"I won't let you get in, though." She snapped her fingers, and several youma appeared before them. "These should keep you busy. Every one of you Senshi out here has used one of those massive attacks, and I'm assuming you don't know how to use them again……so have fun."

* * *

Mars and Wufei tried every door in the dark room they were in, coming up with nothing.

Mars turned, somewhat defeated, to stare at Wufei. He looked pissed from where she stood, on the opposite side of the dome-shaped room. She could understand; this was probably one of the worst rooms to be in……

They were standing in what could only be described as a torture chamber. Several unfriendly machines lined the walls, all of which Mars and Wufei wanted nothing to do with. A loud clanking sound at the other end of the room caught their attention.

Wufei approached Mars quickly, stepping in front of her with his katana out and frowning at the darkened figure standing off to the side.

* * *

"This is stupid," Venus said, kicking the wall and hugging her arms around herself. The two were trapped outside the castle. Were they with their locked-out friends on the opposite side? No. They were in the back, with no way out that they could see, also locked out and having nowhere to go.

"She's just getting us out of the way until she finds the time to deal with us," Heero stated, surveying the area. "You guys took out a lot of her troops and she doesn't have enough trusted workers to take us on."

"That's awful, that means she and Laycaon are on the loose and after our friends while we do nothing out here but freeze," Venus complained. Heero nodded, turning to look at her briefly, before averting his gaze. He couldn't think clearly, and he knew it wasn't from the cold. His thoughts traveled back to Trowa's apology, and how he had told Trowa that he was right about what he had said in the cell. Of course he was. He chanced a glance at her again, and she met his eyes this time.

Unable to tear his gaze away now, she smiled slowly, and approached him.

"You okay?" He smirked at how nonchalant she was trying to appear, and nodded. She was so funny.

To say that he felt something for her though- it was so far out of his comfort zone. He had drifted far from his ideals though. He had loved the words that Odin Lowe said so much that he had quoted him- but refused to live by them. His thoughts drifted to another conversation he and Minako had shared in the estate. It had started out as him questioning her, and turned into questions about her love life somehow. She had said something odd if he was remembering correctly……

"_A boyfriend?" She laughed slightly at Heero's question, shaking her head. "No."_

"_Why is that funny?" He asked suspiciously. Minako always avoided any of his tough questions with a laugh or joke. _

"_Well," she said, her tone growing serious. "I don't think I'll ever find love. Someone predicted that for me once….and I believe it."_

_Heero frowned. "I don't believe in that kind of thing. You must just be stopping yourself because of it. "_

_She sighed slightly, somewhat surprised that he had said more than a few words to her without a cold hint to his voice._

"_I'm actually totally ready to have someone completely sweep me off my feet." A small smile came to her face at the idea of it, and she shook her head. "I just haven't met the right guy yet."_

"Heero? Hello? I can't believe that you, of all people, are spacing off!" Venus' sharp tone tore him from his thoughts and he looked up again, catching her worried face.

'Beautiful,' he thought as he stared at her, but chose another response.

"I'm just tired," he said flatly, and she nodded. For some reason, she seemed a bit sad at his answer. She moved to walk away from him, perhaps to try the opposite gate again, and Heero felt any sense of confidence he had found begin to wither as she began to walk away. She wanted someone to sweep her off her feet….

Before Venus could take two steps, she felt Heero's hand encircle her wrist.

She froze and looked back at him, unsure of what he was doing.

"H-Heero?"

She was more shocked when he stuck his leg out, kicked her feet out from under her, and caught her with his right arm. Her eyes widened at the action as she stared into his eyes for any indication as to what he was thinking. He stared back with that same intensity his eyes always held, making her breath get caught in her throat but not stopping words from spilling from her mouth.

"Heero! What are you-"

She was silenced when Heero's lips were suddenly upon hers, and immediately responded to the kiss. A moment later he released her, allowing her to stumble- somewhat dazed, away. She blushed furiously and cast a sidelong look at him. He simply smirked at her, before speaking, referring to when she had begun to question his actions.

"You talk too much."

* * *

"Where's the antidote?" Trowa asked from where he crouched by Mercury.

Laycaon shrugged. "I'm not telling you that. Andromache was very strict with the rules she gave me. You take whatever is in that black vile, and Mercury gets the antidote."

Mercury attempted to sit up, failing miserably. Trowa grabbed her shoulders and attempted to stay calm, if only for her, but it was hard.

"It's okay Trowa," she said, knowing he was very upset. "We'll find a way. Please, just don't take the potion."

He nodded at her, feeling as though his lungs were going to explode from how angry he was, making it hard to breathe.

"Promise me," she said, grabbing his face with her free hand as she managed to sit up slightly. "There is no way of knowing that Laycaon will actually give us an antidote. Promise me you won't take it."

He stared at her determined eyes, not wanting to make that promise. If he could just take the potion, then Laycaon might give them the antidote, and maybe Mercury could bring him back to normal somehow afterwards. Maybe...although Laycaon might also choose not to give them the antidote. What if there was no antidote at all? How could he be sure? What if Ami was right and they hadn't even made an antidote? The thought made him sick.

"Hey," she said, knowing he had considered every possibility. "Promise me."

"I won't," he said, shaking his head. "I can't let you die."

"Trowa," she said, shaking her head. "Please."

He set her hand down carefully, standing and turning to stare at Laycaon.

Laycaon looked up at him, seeming only partially interested.

"Well?"

"How can I be sure there actually is an antidote?"

"All I can tell you is that it exists. If I show you where it is, you'll try to get it without taking the potion."

Trowa picked up his gun and held it at Laycaon, removing the safety.

"I have to see it," he said, holding the gun at him.

"Hmmm," Laycaon said, standing. "That gun did me damage yesterday, but you caught me off guard. Today I'm ready for you."

"You won't hurt me," Trowa said, staring at Laycaon as though he were seeing right through him. "Andromache would kill you."

"Well, making you drink that potion is an order by Andromache. If you think I want you to be under her control again, you're mistaken. I'd rather kill you and then watch the Mercury Senshi die a slow death from the poison," Laycaon said, his anger at Trowa now shining through.

Trowa stared at him a moment longer. "You really must want Andromache."

Laycaon snarled and stepped forwards. "I do! She's all I want! I care about nothing else! However, if I deviate from her plan, she'll kill me." He held out the potion to Trowa. "Drink it! Your girlfriend over there is dying."

"I have to know you have an antidote," Trowa said, also stepping forwards angrily.

"I can't show you, I already explained that to you! This is not the sort of situation I enjoy being in, pilot. Drink the potion."

Trowa stared at the man he hated before him and turned around to see Mercury, gripping her stomach as she tried to get off the floor. 'It doesn't matter what the potion does to me,' he thought. 'She's dying, and I can't imagine living...really living, without her. Forgive me Ami.'

He turned back to Laycaon, staring at him critically. "You'll give her the antidote right after?"

Laycaon nodded. "We made a deal. That and a five-minute head start. That is all I guarantee."

Trowa stared at him a moment longer, before nodding.

"Fine, give it to me." Mercury began to crawl towards Trowa. She couldn't let him do it for her, it felt so wrong. She could see the situation drastically worsening if he did.

Laycaon nodded and placed the vile in Trowa's right hand. Trowa stared at the black vile a moment, speaking freely one last time but not turning to look at Mercury lest he lose his nerve once he caught her eyes.

"I guess I should tell you this before the potion takes effect. I hesitated before- waited too long... I love you Ami," he said, raising his hand and bringing the vile to his lips. Mercury felt her breath get caught in her throat. He loved her? To think...she had waited and waited to tell him the words that suddenly felt so simple to say.

"No!" Mercury knocked the vile from Trowa's hand, watching with every last ounce of strength she had left in her as it smashed on the floor, black smoke rising from where it had fallen.

The room became deadly silent.

She sank to the ground immediately, exhausted but pleased with her actions. She had weighed her options, and what would happen after Trowa took the potion, and the answer had suddenly seemed so clear.

Trowa and Laycaon froze where they stood, unable to believe the twist of events that had just taken place. Laycaon was pleased. Not only had Mercury stopped Trowa from becoming Andromache's, but Mercury had broken the vile, so it wasn't even his fault! Now he could deal with them like he wanted.

Trowa stared down at Mercury, shock written all over his face as he knelt to the floor besides her, shaking slightly. Grabbing her shoulders, he stared into her eyes and tried to find any sense in her actions.

"Ami," he said, disbelief shining clearly through his voice. "Why? Why did you do that? You're- you're going to die!"

She nodded, tears brimming her eyes. "I love you too," she said, her voice cracking. "I couldn't let you do it. I've been waiting to tell you."

Trowa shook his head, feeling tears sting at his own eyes. "Why...didn't you just let me take the potion?"

"I couldn't bear to lose you to them again," she said, her tears now hotly trailing down her cheeks. "We'll find another way," she promised, not believing her own words as the pain from the poison continued to eat at her.

Laycaon shook his head from where he stood, walking away from the two and laughing as he stood nearer to the door. Trowa picked up Mercury, setting her down on the bed so she wouldn't lie on the floor the whole time.

"If I can kill him, we can search him and this room to find the antidote," he muttered, and she nodded, turning onto her side so she could watch and try to help from where she laid.

"You won't find a way," Laycaon said, still referring to what Mercury had promised Trowa. "What a turn this day has taken. You two never cease to entertain," he said, chuckling. "Now I can do what I want. Clearly Trowa, you're dead. As for Mercury, she'll die from the poison, however we still have a couple of hours until then. Plus, this is a bedroom- my room. My Queen must love me dearly."

Trowa picked up his long-forgotten gun, feeling his blood boil at Laycaon's words.

"I suggest you watch what you say," Trowa said, pointing the gun at Laycaon. "I'm already pissed."

Laycaon smirked. "I as well, pilot. You've taken me out of my Queen's good graces. Prepare to die."

* * *

"Pluto deadly scream!" Pluto's attack destroyed three youma on contact- but it still wasn't enough.

They were pretty much being swarmed and she was overwhelmed. Duo was trying to be confident, but he could only shoot one at a time. Both were pretty beat up at this point and Pluto wondered how long they could hold out.

A large ball of fire was thrown at Pluto before she could move, a combination of a few youma attacks. She screamed as it came in contact with her skin, rolling around on the ground and trying to drag herself up from the ground. Duo was at her side in an instant, worry etched across his face.

"Sets! Are you alright?"

He picked her up before she could respond and dodged another similar attack in the nick of time, the end of his braid being singed. The attack he dodged went barrelling into the locked doors, breaking them open.

"Oh Duo," Pluto said weakly, grabbing his hair. "Y-you're braid, it's-"

"It's fine," he said, not even looking at the braid as he stared down at her. The youma all came charging at the apparent weakness, but Duo temporarily ignored them, helping her stand.

"That attack destroyed the doors," he said, beginning to push her towards the exit. "You can't fight in this condition, they'll kill you. Run, maybe you can get help."

"Duo, they could kill you!" Pluto said, turning as tried to push her out the door.

"Maybe," was all he said.

"Duo," she said, grabbing the edges of the door to stop him from pushing her out. "Stop!"

He smirked. "No," he said. Before Pluto could object anymore, he placed a heated kiss on her lips, quickly pulling away. She stood, shocked, as he spoke.

"Your survival is a little more important than mine."

The youma all unleashed attacks, and with that said Duo gave her a hard shove, knocking her out the door and to the side- out of the way. He threw himself to the floor in record time as the attacks destroyed the remainder of the doorway.

Pulling out his gun, he began firing at the youma, killing the first four in the front and making a run for it across the room to distance himself from them.

Pluto lay still on the ground in the hall a moment, a strange feeling coming over her.

'He's...he's sacrificing himself for me.'

She stood, suddenly completely energized, as she stepped in the doorway of the room.

The youma temporarily stopped their assault on Duo, staring at the woman whom had come back. Her time staff temporarily took on a different shape, becoming black and shrinking slightly.

"Time Staff! Vanquish to Oblivion!"

At her words, a large purple ball of light began to form. It flew towards the youma before Duo could blink and he rushed to get out of the way as it expanded and destroyed every one of them, not even leaving ashes.

'Oblivion,' Duo thought, staring wide-eyed at the damage. 'She vanquished them to nothingness then, so there would be no ashes.'

He barely had time to scramble to his feet and catch her as her staff returned to normal.

Holding her closely, he stood, wondering which way to go in the large castle.

"Damn babe," he said, limping into the hallway and back down at the unconscious Pluto. "You sure can clear a room."

* * *

"Come out," Wufei said, his voice clear and commanding as he held his katana at the figure in the corner.

"Wufei, that is no way to talk to your Queen," Andromache said, stepping out of the shadows with a large weapon in her hand. "I'm sorry I kept you both waiting so long. You see, there's only one of me, and so many of you. I've just been making my rounds. Unfortunately, I can't stick around. I've brought a worthy youma to keep you entertained though."

The youma she was referring to stepped forwards. It was huge, twice the size of a regular youma, and was wearing a thick leather armor.

"It's much stronger than my other pathetic youma, and it is quite good at handling weaponry. If some of you are alive later, I may try out some of these torture devices. However, I'm sure he'll kill you in combat first." When she finished speaking, Andromache passed the youma the weapon in her hand.

It was a large mallet with spikes covering it.

"Goodbye now," Andromache said, offering a small wave and disappearing with a snap of her fingers.

The youma wasted no time in charging Wufei, whom was quick to leap forwards and block with his katana. It continued to push down, being very strong, and Wufei felt his knees strain to hold him up under the pressure put on him.

"Mars celestial fire, surround!"

The attack slammed into the youma, knocking it back a few steps as Wufei pulled away his katana and slashed at the youma's chest. It didn't do much harm against the thick leather armor, and the youma again began slashing downwards with the mallet to try and hit Wufei.

Mars tried to interfere and keep up with their actions, but she was afraid she would hit Wufei at the speed they were moving.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Wufei gave a loud cry. He was kneeling on the ground now, his katana raised above his head to keep the spiked mallet away. Blood ran down his back, where the youma had obviously hit.

Trying to keep cool and not let her emotions get to her, Mars used a smaller attack so as not to harm Wufei.

"Mars fire, ignite!"

The youma stumbled away from Wufei, but the attack was not nearly enough to keep it down. It changed its focus and came running at her.

She barely had a moment to throw herself to the side as it came at her, leaping to her feet and running towards the opposite wall. It pursued at an almost unnatural speed, smacking the mallet into the wall when she dodged and actually tearing through it, revealing the snow outside.

It was quick to pursue her down the wall, and she fell backwards, summoning an attack as fast as she could.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

It slammed into the youma's chest and face at close contact, causing it to give a deafening scream of rage. Mars scrambled away but not in time.

The youma turned and, in blind fury, slammed its spiked mallet into the wall next to them with all of its strength. The wall crumbled from the force he had used, creating a big gap from top to bottom as the stones fell.

Wufei began to limp over to Mars, relieved that the idiotic youma had actually created a way out of the room for them, however his happiness was short lived.

The castle was old, and the wall on that side had been heavily supporting the ceiling of the room. With a loud rumble, the ceiling on the left side of the room by the wall began to crumble as well, falling in large chunks of wood and stone.

Mars and the youma screamed, Wufei's own scream mixing with them as the two were entirely covered by the rubble.

He ran to the where it had caved in, feeling his throat burning as he began to shove aside huge chunks of rock and wood. The first thing he uncovered was the dead body of the youma and he gave it a kick of rage, moving aside and digging in the next area.

He found who he was searching for a minute later as his shaking hands shoved aside the rubble. His breath was caught in his throat as he surveyed the damage. She was covered in several wounds and he was sure something was broken- but that wasn't what scared him.

As he picked her up he saw that blood was covering her uniform and flowing down her neck, but it was coming from her head. She had a huge head wound, and her beautiful hair was quickly becoming soaked with blood. He didn't have to look much further to see that the left side of her scalp was split open.

"Am I…..going to die?"

Her consciousness shocked Wufei, and he felt his eyes begin to burn as he stumbled outside, leaning her against him and in the snow. His hands shook as he tried to remember what to do- he had heard of what to do for this injury only once before.

Holding her split scalp closed, he picked up some snow and placed it on her head as well.

"Rei, stay with me," he said, his voice hoarse. If she fell unconscious, then she was done for.

"I am with you," she responded more clearly than he had thought she would. Blood mangled her hair and clothes and dripped onto the snow, also soaking him and his hands.

'Please, please let this work,' he thought, feeling the need to pray all of a sudden.

"Rei," he said, his voice shaking but having to keep her talking. "Say a Shinto prayer. I'll pray with you."

She nodded, somewhat dazed and unsure of the extent of her injuries. He had put something cold on her, probably snow, and she just felt numb.

* * *

Venus' head shot up at a loud breaking sound, and Heero was at her side in a second's time. There had been a large wall blocking them from getting to the side or front of the castle, but it was suddenly collapsing before their eyes, being knocked down by the side wall and ceiling of the other part of the castle.

"I don't know why the hell that just happened, but let's get over there!" Venus shouted, Heero nodding as the two began to climb over the rubble.

Immediately upon surfacing beyond the rubble, Venus began to curse the wall crumbling. Heero jumped to the snow in front of her, turning to stare at her in her hesitation as tears began to well in her eyes.

Heero turned to look at where she was staring.

Wufei sat in the snow with Mars' body leaned against his. She and Wufei were covered with blood, and the snow around them was as well. His hands were both on her head, also holding snow on it.

"W-why is he doing that?" Venus asked, her voice more hoarse than she remembered.

"I think he's holding her head together," Heero stated, not knowing how to be anything but blunt about the situation as the two approached them.

"Wufei, what happened?" Venus asked. He turned to stare at them, looking more defeated than Heero ever remembered seeing him.

"The wall," he said flatly, trying to keep his blood soaked hands steady. "Keep talking Rei."

Both gaped that Mars was conscious, and he nodded as she continued to pray.

"She has to stay conscious with a serious wound like that," Heero muttered to her, and she nodded, now fully aware of the tears streaming down her face.

"Wufei, the others are in the front. I can hear a battle," Heero said. He turned to Venus. "You said Saturn has healing powers, right? Maybe she can heal Mars' head enough so that she survives to make it to a hospital and be given blood. She's lost way too much blood- we have to close the wound."

Venus nodded dumbly, as Wufei stood, Heero approaching to grab Mars' head. She stepped forwards to help, but found herself shaking at the amount of blood.

What was wrong with her? She had seen so much death the last two weeks...so much blood...but not one of her best friend's.

The three quickly ran around the corner, the sounds of the battle becoming clear.

* * *

Sailor Moon screamed when she saw her friends running towards her, distracting herself from the battle as she saw how much blood Wufei and Mars were covered in.

Tuxedo Kamen knocked her out of the way of an oncoming attack, also turning in shock to survey the damage done to their friends. He gasped, knowing he was paler than a moment before as he surveyed the blood.

Venus, having recovered from her initial shock, leapt into the battle, near Saturn.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

She killed the youma approaching Saturn, grasping Saturn's shoulders.

"Saturn! Please! Go heal Mars' head, just enough to stop the blood!"

At her desperation, Saturn looked over to where the rest were gathering as they fought youma, eyes widening. She took off running towards Mars, while Venus faced off with the remaining twenty-five or so youma her friends had yet to destroy. Heero leapt into the battle as well, the two of them joining Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Uranus, and Neptune.

Saturn rushed over to where Mars was, gasping when Wufei lowered her to the ground. His hands clutched her head, and Saturn's hands began to tremble as she realized how serious the wound was.

"Hey Saturn," Mars greeted, and Saturn breathed a sigh of relief that she was conscious. She didn't know that much about head wounds, but Uranus had once told her that if a person with a very serious head wound fell unconscious, then they were more likely not to wake up.

"I- I'll try to completely close the wound- seal her scalp, so she survives until we can get her to a hospital...she lost so much blood, I can't do anything about the blood loss..."

Raising her hands above the huge split in Mars' scalp, a purple glow surrounded them and the wound. Wufei watched in fascination as the wound slowly began to stitch itself back up. As it happened, Saturn began to continuously grow weaker.

Her hands began to shake more as she tried to pour a bit more strength, having to completely close the wound now if Mars had any chance of survival.

"Just...a bit more..."

The cut closed entirely, just as the glow from Saturn's hands died and she fainted. Wufei reached out to grab her and caught her wrist, trying to balance Mars in his arms as he gently laid Saturn's body down.

He turned back to Mars, but found that she was unconscious. Fear gripping him, he shook her slightly, grabbing her wrist and checking her pulse.

Wufei relaxed when he could feel her pulse, knowing she was still badly injured and needed a lot of blood if she was going to survive, but also relieved that the wound was closed.

He brushed a blood-soaked strand of hair from Mars' face, exhaling a shaky breath.

In the battle, the Venus and Heero were quick to realize that defeating these youma would be no easy task.

The other fighting Senshi were already injured, and these youma were quick and difficult to take down.

Heero fired at a youma three times until it finally died, shocked at its resilience. He glanced next to him at Venus, who attacked a youma to her left.

"Venus crescent beam, smash!"

Neptune and Uranus worked together, trying to take out as many youma as possible but injured and tired. At her right hand side, she saw a few of the youma begin to swarm towards Wufei and the unconscious Mars and Saturn.

"Hey! World Shaking!"

Her attack killed only one of the ten approaching them, and Venus turned to look at the commotion as the injured Wufei stood with his katana held and tried to protect the unconscious women, his own blood dripping down his back.

"Those...those disgusting creatures," she said angrily to herself, feeling an anger like she didn't know begin to well up inside of her. They were all ready to fight and the youma were swarming on the ones who couldn't. She was so unbelievably tired of Andromache's attacks, much more so than anyone she had ever faced.

Heero glanced next to him at Venus, who seemed to be shaking with fury.

"Mina-" he froze as she began to stride forwards angrily, and realized what she was about to do.

"Wufei, get out of the way!" Heero shouted. Neptune and Tuxedo Kamen ran to his aid as Sailor Uranus kept Sailor Moon back.

"Dynamic Radiance!" A beam of light spread from her finger that looked much like her crescent beam, but it began to pan the entire area where the youma stood, surrounding them in a deathly glow and destroying them a moment later- almost baking and shattering them.

Everyone got to their feet a moment later, as Venus fell into Heero's awaiting arms. He lifted her up, staring at the group. Uranus picked up Saturn, and Wufei stood carrying Mars. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen limped over, Neptune at their heels.

"What now?" Uranus asked.

"We find a way inside and help everyone else," Sailor Moon said firmly, staring sadly at the haggard appearance of the group.

* * *

Laycaon raised his hand to attack, and was not surprised when Trowa fired. He avoided the attack, raising his hand and throwing Trowa across the room and into the wall with a flick of his wrist.

Mercury gasped, having forgotten how much power Laycaon could conjure when he wasn't distracted or injured.

Trowa remained unmoving where he lay, and Laycaon laughed.

"Guess that hard hit with the wall was too much on your boyfriend, Mercury," he said. He approached where Trowa laid, raising his hand to strike. Shock overtook him when Trowa opened his eyes and fired his gun right at Laycaon's face. Laycaon gasped and stumbled backwards, the energy attack grazing his chin and cheek before hitting the ceiling.

Trowa leapt to his feet, knowing he only had the upper hand on Laycaon when he wasn't focusing. Immediately, he shot at Laycaon twice, in the chest. Laycaon grabbed his chest and writhed around on the floor in pain. Trowa crouched down next to him, placing the gun to his temple.

"Where's the antidote?"

Laycaon's eyes became unfocused a moment, and Trowa assumed he was dying. However, he was thrown away from Laycaon and he realized he had been collecting his powers.

Trowa tried to stand, shaking his head, but Laycaon was suddenly standing in front of him, looking angry.

"Your attacks from that modified gun won't kill me right away. Andromache cautioned me on running away at the first sign of injury. You'll have to do a lot more than that," Laycaon said, kicking him in the stomach. He raised his hands and conjured a black ball of energy, throwing it at Trowa. Trowa fell back down, screaming as it expanded into a net and began to electrocute him. It was exactly like what Minako and Heero had described happened to them at the lake.

Mercury screamed, attempting to sit up and attack, but Laycaon shook his head.

"Don't worry yet Mercury. He is still stronger than a normal human from the first time he was brainwashed. That won't kill him. Let's figure out what will."

Laycaon kicked Trowa again, in the side, knowing he wouldn't be able to stand or move with it on him. It felt pretty good to finally take out his anger on him.

He kicked him a third time, in the head, and Mercury continued to try and sit up so she could attack him.

He flicked his wrist at her, sending the same sort of wind at her that knocked her back down onto the bed when she managed to get to her feet.

Turning his attention back to Trowa, he raised his right hand, forming a large ball of fire, his specialty, and chucked it down at him.

Trowa threw his arms over his face, the black electrifying net disappearing but the fire burning him. He rolled around, putting the fire out and trying to sit up with a gasp.

"I don't think so," Laycaon said, striking again, this time picking up Trowa's gun off the ground and raising it, shooting Trowa in the side. Mercury screamed in response.

Trowa groaned, unable to move now as blood seeped from his side and spilled onto the floor.

"Mercury Ice Storm!"

Mercury's attack slammed into Laycaon, knocking him to the ground next to Trowa and freezing him. He quickly broke from the ice, turning red from anger. She fell back onto the bed, exhausted thanks to the poison from that one attack.

Laycaon glanced down at Trowa, who seemed too injured to do him any harm. Good, for now.

He glanced down at his watch, and glared up at Mercury.

"It's already been a half hour. So you have a time limit, Mercury," he said, standing and approaching. "About an hour left, maybe a half-hour more than that. Killing your boyfriend has no time limit though. Plus, he can't move right now, and I'm sure watching me cause you harm will probably kill him. All I want is to ultimately make him suffer, after all."

Mercury attempted to scramble away, taking Laycaon's words to heart. It would destroy Trowa to watch Laycaon do anything to her. Her thoughts immediately drifted back to her dream from the night before, and she shuddered as she realized that she had done exactly what Andromache had said in the dream. She had stopped Trowa from going to Andromache by destroying the potion, and had therefore killed him.

"Come here and cooperate this time," Laycaon said, climbing onto the bed as Mercury tried to roll off of it. He grabbed her arm to stop her, his grip like steel despite the fact that she and Trowa had injured him.

Trowa attempted to get off the floor, shaking and collapsing. How was this possibly happening?

Laycaon dragged Mercury closer to him, laughing as she attempted to scramble away and also at Trowa's pathetic attempt to get off the ground.

"Trowa, look over here," he taunted, sitting down on Mercury's stomach and pinning her arms away. Mercury gasped as the pain from the poison intensified by the pressure he put on her body, trying to knock him away.

Trowa groaned, again trying to sit up or grab his neglected gun, which was too far away...

"Pilot," Laycaon said, "Come on, look over here."

Trowa did with strain, and he gasped when Laycaon raised his hand and slapped Mercury. She cried out and the sound resounded across the room, as she temporarily stopped struggling, her red cheek coming into Trowa's vision.

"Get away from her, come here...finish me off," Trowa said, managing to get to his knees before again hitting the ground.

"I don't think so. I think this is hurting you much more," Laycaon said with a shrug, turning his attention back to Mercury. "Can't you scream some more or something? Be a bit more dramatic, perhaps?"

She blinked, trying to stay focused on everything around her but feeling her head growing heavier every few minutes, indicating that the poison was starting to take effect.

"Fine, I guess I'll have to be overly dramatic for you, since the poison is obviously beginning to take over your body," Laycaon said. He leaned down next to Mercury's ear and spoke. "Just give me a scream. A loud-blood curdling scream to drive your boyfriend over there crazy."

He raised his hand, and at the tip of his finger, a small blue light began to form. "Let's see here. Where did I hurt you yesterday? We can just go ahead and re-open that wound." He pointed at her lower stomach area, shifting down from where he was sitting, and fired.

As he had hoped, Mercury screamed loudly in protest, unable to do much more. Trowa's own furious scream mingled with her own.

Blood began to flow from the wound, and Laycaon stared down at it with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Stop it!" Trowa shouted, on his knees again and using the bed as leverage as he tried to reach for his gun.

"You stop," Laycaon said with a shrug, using the same wind attack as before to knock him back to the floor. Trowa blinked open his eyes, trying to not let the situation get any worse.

Laycaon turned his attention back to Mercury, lying on top of her now. She groaned from his weight, pinned and unable to move. She could also feel the blood from where Trowa had shot him leaking onto her uniform, making her believe he might have been injured more than he was currently letting on.

"Trowa, are you watching closely?" Laycaon asked, grabbing Mercury's face and holding her steady. He lowered his face and Trowa began to get extremely sick as he began to kiss her. Mercury struggled only slightly at this point, the poison making it very difficult to do much, as his tongue easily slid into her mouth. His left hand began to slide down the side of her body, grabbing at every curve and making her whimper as a tear made its way down her cheek.

Trowa focused on crawling over to the gun on the floor, the task very hard on him, as he tried to control his rage and think clearly. He was so enraged that his whole body was shaking, and it was making it difficult to move.

Laycaon's hand reached her skirt and he moved the material out of his way, revealing her left side's bodice as his hands continued to explore, moving from there onto her thigh...

Mercury found all of her strength in that moment and focused it on one thing: biting down on his tongue. He cried out and reeled back, glaring daggers at her, before he raised his fist and punched her in the middle of her stomach out of his anger.

She groaned, turning and beginning to cough blood on her white glove.

Laycaon nodded, but didn't have much time to celebrate. A loud bang filled his ears, and he didn't have to look to see that Trowa had managed to get the gun and shoot him in the face. His hand flew to his left cheek, where an immense pain was beginning to spread and he could feel a lot of blood begin to pour down his face. He was done for.

"I hope you rot in hell," Trowa said, having found the strength to move closer to Laycaon, who began to curl up on the bed in pain. "Before you die- where's the antidote?"

Laycaon shook his head, a hollow laugh parting from his lips.

"I'm sure Andromache made one, in the event that someone other than Mercury, such as yourself, accidently had the poison. She however, didn't give it to me."

Trowa felt his stomach flip-flop and the strength he had found was withering away. Ami had stopped him from drinking the potion. If she hadn't, he would have turned to Andromache's side and she still would have been poisoned.

Rage over-taking him, he raised the gun and fired once more, at Laycaon's forehead. Finally, he silenced him.

Dropping the gun, he dragged himself over to where Mercury laid. She was on her back still, shaking as she held her stomach. Tears continued to stream down her face and she looked at him with relief.

Gripping his side, he managed to somehow get to his feet, falling into a sitting position next to her and gripping her bloodied hand tightly.

"I'm sorry. I should have stopped him sooner."

Mercury shook her head, not wanting him to dwell on that anger for another minute. She could definitely feel the poison beginning to take effect. She hoped she had an hour left at least, but she wasn't sure...glancing at Trowa, she knew he had thought the same thing. His eyes were glazed over and red, and she could feel his grip on her hand shaking.

"I can't believe...there's no antidote," he said, never having been overcome with so much grief.

"I know," she said tiredly, unable to say much else.

"We...we have to go find Andromache. I'll make a deal with her or something. We need the antidote." He stood, shuddering and gasping as his head grew heavy, knowing he'd lost a lot of blood.

"Stop," she said, more tears flowing down her face. "You're too hurt. P-please...stay her with me until..."

He shook his head, unwilling to let that happen. He reached down to pick her up, grimacing and trying to move through the pain.

"Trowa stop! Stop, you can't carry me! This will kill you!" She sobbed, managing to raise her hand to grab his arm. He shook his head, shouting as well.

"If you die- that'll kill me!" He willed everything he had and lifted her up off the bed with a groan, making his way towards the opposite door. Mercury continued to cry, wishing she could stand and help him out of the room instead. The door Laycaon and Andromache had come through was nearest, and he pulled at it- stumbling down the dark hallway.

"Andromache!" He screamed, wanting her there with a cure immediately as he limped down the hall.

* * *

Jupiter and Quatre raced down the halls of the castle. Occasional lights amongst many dark corners and confusing turns hit their eyes as they ran, but they couldn't slow down. They had temporarily lost gun-crazed Penelope, but needed a permanent strategy to hold her down without harming her.

"Andromache!"

Quatre gasped as Trowa's anguished voice filled the hall, he and Jupiter picking up their pace and turning the dark corner, stopping in their tracks.

At first, they couldn't see anything. Soon though, Trowa's haggard form limped into view, carrying a sobbing Mercury.

"Hey! What happened?" Jupiter asked, her eyes indicating fear other than the strength of her voice as she ran forwards. Quatre gasped as he approached.

Trowa looked beat up and burned and was bleeding heavily from his side, panting and looking ready to pass out. He was carrying a struggling Mercury, who kept trying to escape from his arms. Blood poured down her stomach but she seemed to be losing and gaining strength continuously, and it made Quatre wonder what other sort of injury she had retained.

"Laycaon attacked us...I killed him but..." Trowa's voice faded as Jupiter pulled Mercury from his arms, his hesitation to release her clear as Quatre helped Trowa lean against him.

"We need to get you guys help."

"No Quatre," Trowa said, trying to pull away. "Ami's poisoned! We need to find Andromache and get the antidote!"

Quatre and Jupiter were both confused at his words, which hung in the air and created an almost difficult atmosphere to breathe in. Jupiter glanced down at Mercury, whose body she noticed was shaking violently.

"Is she going into shock?" She asked worriedly.

"N-no," Mercury responded from her arms.

"She's not going into shock from her wound! She's poisoned! Penelope poisoned her days ago at the mansion, it took time for the poison to enter her bloodstream, and now she's going to die if we don't find the antidote!"

"Oh my God," Quatre said as the situation immediately worsened. "Penelope was just after us and trigger happy. She's around here somewhere. You think she might have the antidote?" He asked Jupiter.

"It's possible, we'd better hurry and find her, plus we'll be needing our friends if Andromache has it," Jupiter said. "I can't reach anyone on the communicator's."

"Let's hurry," Trowa said weakly from where Quatre supported him, although he seemed to be in no condition do so.

"S-stop...let's just stay here," Mercury said, reaching a hand out from where she was in Jupiter's arms and grasping Trowa's.

"Ami, we have no time," Trowa said firmly, his eyes bloodshot as he watched her.

"I know...we have no time...stay here with me," she begged, and his eyes glazed over at her words, closing them and looking away as if pained.

"We have to try Ami," he responded, "hold on a bit longer, if only for me."

Jupiter's eyes began to shine with unshed tears as she wondered how long exactly they really had. Quatre grabbed her shoulder supportively, trying to keep calm for everyone else and mainly for her. His thoughts drifted to the others and he wondered if they were fairing any better as the four of them began to search for Penelope.

* * *

Duo limped through the halls of the old castle, having totally lost himself within its walls. Pluto was still unconscious and he had yet to find a single one of his friends. A few minutes ago, he had heard a huge crash, almost loud enough to sound like part of the place had collapsed, however he had yet to find the source.

"Duo..."

He glanced down, a grin taking over his face as he stared into two beautiful garnet orbs. Pluto's eyes were half open, and she blinked, opening them fully and staring at him.

"What happened?" Her voice was quiet- light, and she still sounded tired.

"You destroyed all of those youma with that cool attack I never want used on me," he responded cheekily, and her eyes widened as she seemed to remember what was happening. She began to move from his arms, but he held her firm.

"You're still tired. It took a lot out of you, plus you were injured," he said when she glanced at him to demand why he hadn't let her get down.

"I'm fine," she insisted. Suddenly remembering his bold move from earlier, she grabbed onto his cheek and held him steady.

"Hmm?" He glanced down at her and immediately her lips were against his, causing him to stop walking and loosen his grip on her.

She pulled away and leapt to her feet, walking a few steps ahead and stopping when he was slow to follow.

"What was that for?" he asked, beginning to walk once she stopped.

"What you did for me earlier. It was brave, and plus you already kissed me when I was unsuspecting- so fair is fair."

He nodded, catching up with her and pulling out his gun as the two wandered the halls.

"Babe, I have no complaints. Feel free to do so whenever you please.

"I might, maybe not though," she said, enjoying toying with him as they continued to search for their friends. He smirked and nodded.

The two rounded the corner and jumped back with screams, as guns were pointed in their faces.

"Heero buddy," Duo said, realizing they had all scared each other. Their friends stepped out of the darkness and Pluto and Duo gasped.

Heero was carrying Sailor Venus, who was newly beginning to shift in his arms. He let her down, holding her arm to steady her as she noticed the beat up looking Duo and Pluto. Behind them was Uranus, carrying an unconscious Saturn. Neptune walked besides Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, all looking equally hurt and tired. Just behind them was Wufei, carrying an unconscious Mars. She and him were both covered in blood, and Heero's hands were also stained with blood, undoubtedly her as well. Blood poured down Wufei's back, causing him to limp as he walked with her.

"What the hell..." Duo began.

"We are all in need of a hospital," Heero supplied, glancing around. "No sign of the others yet?"

Pluto and Duo shook their heads.

"Venus used her attack," Sailor moon said.

"I as well, which means we must have taken out another good portion of her troops. Let's continue searching for everyone and get out of here. Everyone seems seriously wounded and Mars is too pale, I'm assuming she needs blood," Pluto said, everyone nodding and continuing down the hall. No one realized Andromache was, with all of the castle's twists and turns, leading them right to her throne room.

* * *

Jupiter, now holding Mercury piggy-back style, adjusted her grip on Mercury as she leaned her head over Jupiter's shoulder, tipping it to the side.

"It's easier to breathe this way," Mercury said, and Jupiter nodded sadly.

"Hold it right there," a voice said behind the four. In truth, they hadn't made it very far, and they turned around stoically to face Penelope.

"I've found you at last, and you've brought me some of your friends! Shouldn't you two be with pervert, Laycaon?"

"Laycaon's dead," Trowa snapped irritably from where he leaned against Quatre.

"Oh really?" Penelope studied Trowa a moment, before smiling. "I guess he roughed you two up first. Tell me, did he have some fun with the Mercury Senshi before you killed him?"

Jupiter and Quatre glanced at each other.

At Trowa's glare and Mercury's tear-filled eyes, Penelope laughed. "Wow, it must have been a dream come true for that loser. Laycaon wasn't particularly good with the ladies."

Trowa curled and uncurled his fist, between killing Penelope and helping bring her back to normal. He chose to speak instead.

"Do you have the antidote?"

Penelope crossed her arms and stared at him, frowning slightly.

"Maybe- maybe not. Forget about that though. Your friends are being lead into the main hall, and I'm now escorting you there."

She raised her gun. "So move."

"We need the antidote first," Jupiter said. "Or you'll have hell getting any compliance from us."

"Oh?" Penelope raised an eyebrow, staring at Jupiter for a long time.

She moved her gun from where it was pointed at Jupiter, and before anyone could move she fired at Quatre's shoulder.

Jupiter screamed, moving towards him, and he gasped and grabbed it, blood beginning to quickly cover his hand.

'That was my fault,' Jupiter thought immediately, tears blurring her vision.

"Not only do I have a similar weapon as you pilots- but it's better." She ushered for Jupiter to move away with the gun as Trowa and Quatre now supported each other. "Do I have your compliance now? Walk."

Everyone began to move, Penelope trailing behind them with her gun pointed. They soon reached two large double doors, and Penelope cleared her throat.

"What are you waiting for? Go in."

Okay, that's all for now! I'm almost done the last chapter, so review and encourage me to finish!


	14. Light at the End

Hey all, here's the last chapter, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14

The four entered, simultaneously gasping as they saw a large metal cage in the enormous room. All of their friends were in it. It was placed a few feet from a throne, where Andromache sat, looking pleased. A large rope separated them from the remaining youma Andromache had, about thirty of them, snickering behind the throne.

Everyone who was conscious in the cage began to shout for them, and Andromache laughed.

"Hello Penelope. I see you've brought four more. Why is Trowa so injured and helping them?"

"I suspect the potion was not taken. Laycaon is dead."

The Queen nodded at the news, showing no indication that his death mattered. She glanced at Trowa.

"I suppose you did me the honor? You've saved me some trouble later. What happened to that potion you were supposed to take? Didn't you want to save your stupid girlfriend?"

Trowa frowned at the woman in front of him, before speaking.

"Ami destroyed your potion- I tried to drink it. As for saving her, you never intended to give us the antidote."

Andromache nodded, leaning forwards in her throne.

"Correct as usual. I can't say that I'm sorry though. How much time do you expect she has now? Judging by how she can no longer even hold on to the Jupiter Senshi's shoulders, I'd say about fifteen minutes to a half hour now."

Trowa looked past Quatre at Jupiter, whom had caught Mercury from falling off of her and was now carrying her in her arms. Mercury was pretty much limp although her body still shook as the poison ate away at her.

Sailor Moon turned to everyone else who was conscious in the cage. They had become trapped a few minutes before, without even realizing it.

"What's wrong with Mercury?" Her voice showed more fear than she had hoped. All of her friends were badly injured and it scared her to think that anything more could happen- especially with the close call Mars had.

Everyone was silent, glancing back at the cold exchange between Andromache and Trowa. Finally, all eyes turned to Pluto.

She sighed. "I guess I'm not revealing future knowledge if I fill you in now. It seems that Penelope poisoned Ami back at the estate."

Her words hung in the air and left a long silence among the group.

"A-are you serious?" Duo said, looking back at the others and Pluto. "Right under our noses?"

She nodded. "It was Andromache's back-up plan. She planned to have Trowa no matter what."

Tuxedo Kamen frowned, glancing at Venus and Heero. Both shook their heads. Not only were they trapped, but there was nothing they could do now.

Wufei stood, setting down Mars next to where Uranus had laid Saturn and moving next to Neptune.

"We have to get out of here first," he said, crossing his arms.

Everyone nodded.

Trowa frowned at Andromache.

"You made an antidote. I will do anything you want if you give it to her."

Andromache stood from her throne, walking down the steps slowly and placing her hands on her hips as she stared at him.

"Really? First things first."

She snapped her fingers, and Jupiter and Quatre both gasped as they were lifted into the air. Mercury slipped from Jupiter's arms and fell to the ground, Andromache nodding in approval until Trowa bent down to check on her.

"You two," she pointed at them. "In there." Her finger moved towards the cage, and the two were suddenly being thrown at an incredible speed towards it. When she snapped her fingers, the bars dematerialized as if it were a portal, knocking them to the ground in the cage with their friends. Everyone in the cage ran towards the bars to try and get out, but found the bars solid again.

Quatre and Jupiter struggled to their feet, now distressed more than before. Jupiter grabbed the ribbon from the back of her uniform, tying it tightly around Quatre's shoulder to try and stop the blood flow.

"Thanks Mako," he said as she helped him stand.

"Sailor Moon, do you think you can heal Penelope from here? If there's an antidote, she might know where it is," Jupiter said. Moon nodded, grabbing her broach.

"Now Trowa, what were you saying you'd do for me if I gave you the antidote?"

"I'd drink another potion," he stated. She nodded, deep in thought.

"Well, they take time to make. Your girlfriend doesn't have that much time."

"So heal her and then lock me up until you can make it."

"That's not definite enough. I'd rather she die first, to be honest with you," Andromache drawled out. She stared down at Mercury's body.

"She's unconscious, yet her body is still shaking from the poison. That's some pretty potent stuff I made," she said, smiling.

Penelope turned to look at the cage, hearing some commotion. She took a few tentative steps towards it, and gasped when she heard what Sailor Moon had been saying. "Moon Healing Activation!"

A white beam of light hit her, and she began to scream as it purified her, wiping out any of the brainwashing Andromache had done to her in the last week.

When the light ended, Sailor Moon tiredly latched on to Tuxedo Kamen, and Penelope passed out.

Andromache turned to glance at Penelope's prone body and the cage.

"Stop that, you just lost me another employee," she said, her voice full of rage as she left Trowa and Mercury. Everyone in the cage backed up as the angry queen approached, standing in front of them and crossing her arms.

"Perhaps I should rid myself of all of you now."

Trowa fell to the ground besides Penelope when Andromache walked away, shaking her shoulders.

Penelope blinked open her eyes, staring at him and eyes widening as she remembered everything.

"Oh my God!" He put a hand over her mouth, glancing warily at Andromache's back.

"Do you know where the antidote is?" She nodded, beginning to cry.

"It's in the kitchen, back at the estate. I hid it in the cook's spice cabinet."

Trowa felt his heart sink at what she said.

"I- I may have enough magic left to open a portal. It'll take you near the temple. You have to go through the dimensional gate since I don't have the kind of powers to make one myself. You have to use the tear. The portal to get you back here should stay open long enough if I concentrate the last of my powers. Remember, it's in the cabinet- a small white vile with an 'A' on it."

Trowa nodded. "Okay, hurry, and don't let Andromache hurt you or Ami until I get back."

She nodded, concentrating the energy in her hands as a portal opened up, revealing a street in Tokyo.

"I hope it's near the temple," Penelope said worriedly. He nodded, glancing back at Mercury's prone body one last time and limping through.

Andromache turned from where she was trying to kill the Senshi in the cage, and gasped when she saw that Trowa was gone, and that Penelope was sitting up, having created a portal for him.

"You imbecile!"

Andromache stopped what she was doing, approaching Penelope angrily.

She raised her hand to strike Penelope, but before she could Penelope slumped to the ground, having exhausted the last of her energy in opening the portal.

Andromache gave a disgusted sigh, snapping her fingers. Penelope's body disappeared from the floor, reappearing in the cage. Everyone moved to check on her before returning their attention to escaping from the cage.

"So Trowa left through that portal," she said to herself. "I'm sure he didn't abandon everyone. He'll be back. Penelope used the last of her energy to open it so he'd be back- and he'll return to me to find everyone dead."

She glanced down at the body of Mercury, whom was laying sideways but with her face down. Somewhat disgustedly, Andromache used her foot to turn her body over, onto her back and face up.

She glared down at her, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest.

"Not dead yet," she stated with a frown, staring at her face and body. "What could Trowa possibly see in you when he has a woman like me here? I offer him power and a new life and he goes running back to you."

She glanced up at the cage containing the Senshi. There was quite a commotion going on in there, although she wasn't sure if they were trying to escape or distract her from Mercury's body.

"Why are you worried?" She called happily. "She'll be dead from the poison in a couple of minutes anyways."

She glanced back down at the girl and towards the portal again.

"Hurry up and die before he gets back," she snapped, stamping on her stomach. Blood dribbled from the side of the girl's mouth when she did so, and she smirked, moving towards the trouble makers at the cage for a few minutes.

* * *

Trowa stepped out of the portal, taking a pained breath. He was down the street from the temple, if he was remembering correctly.

'Close, but not that close Penelope,' he thought, beginning to limp down the street. A woman walking by saw him and screamed. She pulled out her cell phone, rushing towards him.

"Was there an attack? Stay right here, I'll call an ambulance!"

She began to dial and he grabbed her hand, shaking his head.

"Don't call them. I have to see a friend first."

"B-but..." she trailed off, staring at the strange young man and frowning. "I think you're dying."

"Please- don't call," he said, and she stared at him in disbelief as he turned and continued his unbearably pained walk down the street.

He found himself becoming light-headed halfway down the street, and encouraged himself to go on knowing Ami had very limited time.

By the time he had reached the steps, his breath was short and he gave pained gasps as he started up the stairs, groaning and grabbing onto the rail tightly. Why so many steps?

Mid-way up, the pain became too much to bear and he slumped down, his grip on the rail unrelenting.

Feeling like he was going to pass out, he pulled himself up with an anguished groan and continued as fast as he could.

He was more than relieved when he reached the top of the steps, stumbling towards the yard and more driven than ever to get into the gate.

* * *

"What are you all doing back here? I'm releasing my youma to take care of the rest of you," Andromache snapped.

With a snap of her fingers, the cage disappeared, as did the rope restraining the youma. All of the youma charged at them, as the group stood in front of the unconscious bodies of Saturn, Mars, and Penelope.

She walked away, letting the youma cover the area where they stood disinterestedly and heading back to her throne.

She paused at the still-breathing body of Mercury.

"What is taking you so long? Die already! If I kill you physically, that defeats the purpose of poisoning you," she explained to the unconscious woman madly.

Sailor Jupiter ducked out of the way of an attack, unleashing one of her own and trying to see past the battle. Mercury was somewhere in the room out of sight, with Andromache. What if she was killing her?

"Jupiter! Get down!"

Venus shoved her to the floor as two more large attacks flew over her head.

"We have to get Mercury's body away from Andromache and set her down by the others who are unconscious, so we can protect them all together," Jupiter said.

"Right," Venus said, helping her up. Wufei and Neptune were currently keeping all attacks from hurting those that were already unconscious while everyone else was engaged in battle.

Venus rushed towards the throne where Andromache was crouched next to Mercury, gasping as she crashed into a large clear glass panel. She grabbed her nose and turned to look at Jupiter.

"What the hell," she said, Jupiter joining her.

"She's no dummy," Jupiter said. "She got rid of the cage but trapped us behind this glass panel to die from the youma."

"Venus! Jupiter! We need you!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted, and they ran to help their friends who were currently being over-powered.

* * *

Trowa struggled through the gate in the backyard of the temple. He fell through with a scream, not enjoying the ten-foot drop to the other side one bit as he crashed into the snow, protecting his head. He gave a strangled gasp, dazed and afraid that he had broken something as he spit out a mouthful of blood and struggled to his feet. He had forgotten how high the gate was on this side, and stared at the ladder that was down in the snow.

Stumbling towards the door, he realized he had no key to get into the house. He grabbed his head in frustration and pain. As he tripped back down the porch steps and stepped back onto the lawn, he picked up the ladder and dragged it back onto the porch. Lifting it, he began smashing it into the window, over and over until it broke.

He climbed through the glass, falling into the living room. Once more he groaned as he lifted himself up, dragging himself into the kitchen and leaning heavily on the walls.

Upon entering, he sank to the ground, crawling towards the cook's spice cabinet. Opening it up, he hurriedly began to search the many bottles, quickly spying the small white vile Penelope had described. Taking it in his shaking hands, he stumbled to his feet, trying to hurry but in far too much pain to move any faster.

* * *

Andromache crossed her arms and tapped her feet as Mercury continued to breathe- annoying her.

"What the hell is taking you so long? Die!" She stared at her closely, crouching next to her somewhat interestedly. Even Andromache would admit that the Mercury Senshi was not ugly. Did she come close to comparing to herself? Of course not, but still...it annoyed her that she was pretty. Her hands shook slightly and she suddenly had the urge to mangle up her pretty face. The only sign of damage her face had sustained was a slight redness on her cheek- most likely caused by Laycaon if he had gotten a bit rowdy.

Rolling her eyes at the thought, she grabbed the Senshi's face and frowned deeply. Glancing at the portal and back towards the battle, she shrugged.

Holding the Senshi's face steady with her left hand, she clawed her face, from above her right eyebrow to mid-cheek. Four thin lines of blood began to trickle down her face and it pleased her, despite how small the action was.

Standing, she noticed that the Senshi's breathing was becoming more labored, and nodded her head in approval.

"That's right, hurry up and die," she said, kicking her stomach again and causing more blood to leak from her mouth.

At her kick, her breathing became even more strained.

"Oh? Did that help speed up the process?" She kicked her again and again, watching with joy as the Senshi continued to strain to breathe.

"I have to say, you make this too enjoyable. Soon, you'll be out of my way and Trowa will be mine," she said, landing a kick on her head.

* * *

Trowa climbed up the ladder and through the gate in record time, trying to run and falling to the ground once he entered the backyard of the temple. Dragging himself to his feet, he grasped his side, gripping the vile out of danger and moving. How long had he taken? He couldn't let her die...

Reaching the top of the steps, he slipped on a patch of ice and began to unceremoniously roll down, protecting the vile in both his hands instead of his head as he stopped in the middle.

Again, he spit out another mouthful of blood, releasing an anguished cry as grasped the rail once more to climb down, nearly blacking out.

He stumbled down the steps and began to drag himself down the street, drained but having to get back to the portal.

It was still open once he finally arrived at it, and he pretty much fell through it.

Andromache abandoned the pretty-much dead Mercury, turning and walking closer to the glass panel to survey the battle between the Senshi and her youma.

Trowa fell through Penelope's portal, and he blinked to clear the white spots from his vision as he tried to get his bearings. Everyone was battling on the other side of the room, and Andromache's back was to him.

Seeing Mercury, he crawled over to her, praying she was still alive.

She didn't look like she was breathing and his hands shook as he grabbed her shoulders and leaned her against his knees, tipping her head back and pouring the small vile into her slightly-open mouth.

"Ami," he whispered, glancing at Andromache's back and shaking her slightly as tears blurred his vision. He felt slightly sick and the pain he was in intensified once more as he turned to the left and spit out more blood.

She didn't move, and Trowa's own shaking grew worse as he considered the possibility that she may have died.

He had taken too long.

Grabbing her wrist, he checked for a pulse and paused. At first, he felt nothing.

Then, he began to feel a faint beat, and eventually her pulse began to steady. His eyes widened, and she began to shift, coughing slightly and blinking her eyes.

"It feels like I got hit by a truck," she rasped out, and he nodded, thinking that Andromache had probably had a bit of fun roughing her up while he was gone.

Before she could fully sit up and see where she was, Trowa had her in a fierce hold, shaking violently. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening and the extent of his injuries. He looked so much worse than when she had passed out- what had he done?

"T-Trowa, what did you do to yourself?" She asked, holding him back just as tightly and feeling her eyes begin to fill with tears.

He didn't respond; he just held her. Her tears began to fall.

"Trowa, come on, we have to get you help. You're bleeding so much," she sobbed, beginning to stand and survey the room. Andromache glanced over to where Mercury was supposed to be dying, and gasped furiously when she saw her beginning to stand up, to help a very beat up Trowa get to his feet.

"How are you alive?" Andromache demanded, approaching her quickly. Mercury gasped as Trowa shuddered and fell to the ground, totally limp. Tears blurred her vision at the sight of him, and she was in disbelief at how much harm he had brought to himself to get the antidote.

"Why Trowa? Why?" She choked, and she felt Andromache's hand encircle her wrist.

"I am asking myself the same question," Andromache said darkly. Mercury felt an anger well up within her, the likes of which she had never felt.

"I hate you," she told Andromache, pulling her wrist free, "and Trowa does too."

"That is a lie!" Andromache shouted. "How can he choose you over me!" She raised her hand and grabbed Mercury by her collar, lifting her off the ground slightly.

"The poison may not have killed you, but you are clearly no match for me!"

A funny feeling spread through Mercury's veins and she recalled the other Senshi mentioning something similar before they unleashed a special attack.

Andromache seemed to notice the power and released her, backing away and readying an attack big enough to stop Mercury from unleashing hers.

"Ice Formation! Surround!" The attack left Mercury's hands before Andromache could blink. Only part of it hit Andromache as she dived out of the way, but it expanded and hit the remaining youma on the other end of the room. The glass panel Andromache had created had disappeared once part of Mercury's attack injured her.

Mercury then slumped to the ground, falling next to Trowa.

The Senshi were all relieved, however a screaming Andromache was still left to be dealt with.

Whoever was conscious moved over to the woman. She broke free from the ice surrounding her and turned to face everyone.

"All of your troops are gone. You're alone," Heero stated, his gun before him.

"I- I can still kill all of you!"

"We're not giving you the chance," Tuxedo Kamen stated, very sick of the woman.

Every able Senshi then attacked, the pilots shooting at her.

The combined attacks of everyone forced her to her knees, and she screamed in pain.

"That's good but not enough," she shouted.

Sailor Moon glanced over at Tuxedo Kamen, who knew what she was thinking.

He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Don't over-do it."

She stepped forwards, her crystal flying from her broach and into her hands.

"Moon Crystal Eternal Power!"

A huge light erupted from the crystal, bathing the room and covering Andromache, who screamed in protest.

"Stop! No! I will kill you all!" Andromache screamed as the light suddenly died, Andromache's body dropping to the floor and fading away.

Sailor Moon fell into Tuxedo Kamen's awaiting arms, and he lifted her up and kissed her forehead.

A tired silence filled the room as the relief that it was all over was realized.

"We definitely don't have the energy to teleport," Venus breathed.

"No need, the portal Penelope created is still open," Pluto said. "Everyone de-transform now, before we step through the portal."

At her words, Tuxedo Kamen tapped the stone in the center of Sailor Moon's tiara, and she was instantly back in her normal clothes. His clothing also changed.

Getting the idea, Wufei crouched next to Sailor Mars and picked her up, tapping the stone in her tiara as well and reverting her back to her clothes.

Everyone followed suit, and Minako picked up Penelope. Michiru held Hotaru, Haruka leaning heavily on her, and Heero picked up Trowa as Makoto picked up Ami. Setsuna, Quatre, and Duo all supported each other, and the group finally managed to make their way outside of the base and get through the portal.

"We're near the temple," Minako said, glancing around. "The hospital is so far!"

A middle-aged woman emerged from a coffee shop on their right, and she gasped and ran over.

"Oh my God! I saw him earlier and he wouldn't let me call an ambulance," she shouted, pointing at Trowa's unmoving figure. Her cell phone was clutched tightly in her hand and she stared at the group with slight fear. "I suppose you don't want one either?"

"Oh no, we'd actually really appreciate you calling. The hospital is far," Makoto said, shifting Ami.

The woman nodded, dialing 911 and beginning to tell them where she was.

"Yes, there's been an attack. There are about fifteen injured people, and most of them seem too hurt to walk."

She hung up the phone and nodded. "They'll be here soon!"

* * *

"Where are my friends?" Makoto asked a doctor who was patching up her minor wounds. She had been lucky, not sustaining any serious wounds, and wanted to know everyone else's condition.

"I'll be done in a minute and you can go look- just take it easy. Most of them are on this floor- unless they're in ICU," he said, putting his medical tape away and allowing her to stand.

"Who's in ICU?" She asked worriedly. He looked up in thought, before speaking.

"I believe there was a girl with long dark hair. She had a lot of injuries and had lost a lot of blood, plus her hair was so mangled with blood even though the wound on her head was small, as if it had partially healed already. She also had some broken bones."

'Rei.'

Makoto said nothing to confirm or deny his suspicions, and he continued. "There was also a young man with brown hair. He was badly wounded as well, in his side. It seemed he lost a lot of blood, and we also think it looks like he was burned and took at least two big falls. He had some head trauma and I think he broke a few things."

'That's Trowa. I wonder when he fell so many times...'

"Well, thanks Doc," she said with false brightness, jumping from the table she was sitting on. "I'll just be going now."

She wandered down the hall, turning into the first door at her right when she saw a familiar smiling face.

Quatre was sitting up and a doctor was working on him. He wasn't wearing a shirt as his shoulder had been treated and wrapped up. A small sling was being placed around his arm.

"Wear this at least a week. You'll rip open your wound if your arm moves too much," the doctor explained as she smiled at Makoto and exited the room.

Makoto fully stepped into the room, smiling at him and pretending not to take notice that he was shirtless, which she obviously had.

"Hey you," he said, and Makoto threw all reason out the window at his simple words and ran at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and careful of his shoulder.

He hugged her back with his good arm, the left, and she looked up at him, her eyes now filled with tears.

"My big mouth got you shot," she said quietly. He shook his head, his left hand combing through her brown locks, which were loose from her usual pony-tail.

"She probably would have done it anyways, don't cry," he said, and she nodded as he lifted her chin and kissed her.

* * *

Usagi and Mamoru limped down the halls of the hospital wing, searching for their friends.

"Take it easy you two," a nurse warned. Both laughed and nodded.

They passed by Setsuna and Duo's room. Both were very tired and currently asleep, each one of them having been burned pretty badly before they met up with everyone else.

"Aww, I hope they'll be okay," Usagi said, peeking into the room. Mamoru nodded.

"They'll be fine," a nurse said, exiting the room. "I suspect that they'll be up in a couple of hours. Your other friend over there was also really exhausted."

"Other friend?" Mamoru repeated. He looked past Setsuna and Duo's beds, at where Penelope was sleeping, and nodded.

"Lets go Usako, we don't want to bother them," he said, taking her hand as the two slowly headed down the hall.

"Hey!"

Both spun to see Minako, dragging Heero behind her. Minako and Heero both looked equally beat up, but were happy to be up and moving.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"We're good. Where is everyone else?" Mamoru asked.

"Well, Makoto and Quatre are pretty much just making out in that room over there."

Minako pointed to demonstrate, and Heero smirked.

"Sets, Duo, and Penelope are sleeping then," Usagi said.

"Right," Minako said. "Haruka and Michiru are downstairs in the cafeteria with Hotaru, they're doing better. Wufei and Ami are somewhere down here, I have no idea where though."

Usagi and Mamoru stared at Minako expectantly for the remaining news, and she hesitated.

"Where are Rei and Trowa?" Mamoru asked.

"ICU," Heero responded, crossing his arms and saying nothing more on the matter.

* * *

Ami blinked open her eyes, hating the harsh light that suddenly dominated her view.

"She's up," a choked voice said, and she gasped as a pair of unfamiliar arms encircled her.

"Hey, Doctor Yamanashi, take it easy," an older voice lectured, and Ami's vision cleared.

In front of her stood two doctors, one of whom she recognized immediately. Doctor Reika Yamanashi had been her mother's best friend at the hospital. Her eyes were tear-filled and she seemed relieved. The doctor to her right was the chief of the hospital's afternoon shift, and he offered her a friendly smile, before glancing at Doctor Yamanashi one last time.

"I leave her in your care Yamanashi- just don't get too emotional with her. Young lady, I'm glad that you're up. Your mother was one of our finest and we miss her terribly."

The man exited the room with a wave, and Ami turned to stare at Reika Yamanashi.

"Hello," she said simply. Reika had come over for dinner once, the rare night her mother was off, and she knew the two always made plans to go shopping when they had time off work.

"I'm so glad you're up," she gushed, approaching the bed. "You had a lot of internal bleeding, especially in your stomach, and I thought I was going to let your mother down!"

"You could never. Thank you for everything," Ami said, her mother's spirit filling the walls of the hospital.

Reika nodded, patting her on the head and turning to exit the room. She turned back around and addressed the other patient in the room, Wufei, whom was trying to climb from his bed.

"Hey! You take it easy! You're lucky there was no nerve damage in your back from whatever it was that hit you!" Doctor Yamanashi said, walking over to Wufei. He stood anyways, having already slipped on his clothes when the other doctors were busy with Ami.

"I'm going to see my friend," he said. "I'm fine."

"Your friend?" Reika frowned a moment, before nodding. "Which one?"

"Rei Hino. She has long dark hair and-"

Reika raised her hand to stop him.

"You can't see her. She's in ICU."

Ami sat up straight in her bed. Rei was in ICU?

"What? Why?" she hadn't even known that anything had happened to Rei since she had been passed out.

"She lost too much blood Ami. Please take it easy. Actually, there was one other man placed in ICU. He had brown hair, I believe. We haven't found his I.D. yet."

Ami's eyes widened as she realized the woman was probably talking about Trowa.

"I have to see him."

"You can't. In a couple of hours, I will come back and let you leave the hospital. When I do that, you can see them. ICU is the third floor, and they'll probably only let you in a few minutes."

Ami frowned at Reika, leaning back in her bed and turning away. Wufei also stopped where he sat, looking down.

"I'll leave you two to rest," Reika said, exiting the room.

"What happened to Rei?" Ami asked, keeping her back to Wufei.

"The ceiling collapsed on her. She was hurt pretty bad, plus her scalp split open. I held it together with snow until Saturn closed the wound, but she lost a lot of blood."

Ami turned to look at him. "You saved her life."

He stared at her a moment, before shaking his head.

"Saturn did."

"No, you did. That was quick thinking," Ami said.

A silence passed between them, before he spoke.

"What happened to Trowa?"

"Laycaon. Then he aggravated his wounds trying to help me," she said, turning away from him and letting silence fill the room.

* * *

True to her word, Reika returned and Ami and Wufei were allowed to leave. At this point, everyone was up, and all were in the cafeteria downstairs.

"Are you going down to see everyone first?" Ami asked Wufei. He shook his head, and she nodded.

"Me neither. Let's head up."

The two limped towards the elevator, and Wufei pushed the button for the third floor, looking anxious, unusual for him.

The elevator opened and they exited, Ami heading to the front desk in the area to ask about their friends.

"Oh, those two? Their rooms are down here. If you're going to go in, we ask that you limit your time to half an hour for now. Do either of you have cell phones? If you do, turn them off. You both look injured as well, so take it easy."

They followed the stoic nurse down the hall, and she stopped in front of two rooms. First was Rei's. She unlocked the door and turned to look at them. Wufei stepped forwards, and she gave him a small white mask.

"It's in case of contamination. Half an hour," she reminded, letting him enter and shutting the door, before ushering to Ami to enter the door she was unlocking at the right, also passing her a mask and walking away.

Wufei entered Rei's room, slipping the mask onto his face and looking around. It was filled with machines and very small. In the center of it all laid Rei. She was unconscious and looked very small among the other objects in the room.

It seemed that the hospital staff had tried to wash her hair of the blood as best as they could, and it was now in a long braid cascading past her right shoulder. He took a few steps into the room, not sure why he was hesitating. She was very pale and somehow he felt like if he touched her- she would break.

He kneeled next to her bed, wary of his back, and took her hand in his, brushing his thumb across her knuckles.

He stared at a monitor next to the bed, which showed her heart rate- it was steady.

"She's stabilizing," a nurse said from the doorway. He looked over at her and nodded. "Yes, we gave her a blood transfusion and took care of her breaks" she said. "We'll probably be moving her down to a regular room in an hour at the rate she's progressing. I expect a full recovery. Maybe she can even leave in a wheel chair tomorrow."

* * *

Ami slipped the mask onto her face and tentatively entered the room. Trowa lay still amongst the large machines of the room, and she felt her breath get caught in her throat at the sight of him.

Approaching the bed, she gasped at how many machines he was attached to. The chart by his bed was taunting her, and she snatched it into her hand, flipping it open reading it over quickly.

'Head trauma, multiple burns, great loss of blood, deep wound on his side, internal bleeding, broken ribs...'

She frowned deeply, setting down the chart and wishing she hadn't read it. Looking back down at him, she felt tears burn at her eyes.

Carefully, she reached down to touch his hand, but before she could so one of the machines on the left began to beep very loudly.

She pulled back sharply and backed away with a gasp, as a doctor and two nurses ran into the room. The doctor took one glance at the machine and grabbed an oxygen mask from its hook by the bed, placing it over Trowa's mouth and beginning to check the machine as a nurse readied an I.V, checking the bag he already had in his arm.

"What's happening," Ami choked, feeling her tears begin to trail down her cheeks.

"You have to leave the room please," a nurse said, beginning to pull her out of the door.

"What's wrong with him?" Ami demanded as the nurse pulled her outside.

"You can talk to the doctor afterwards," the nurse said, shutting the door and locking it. Ami fell against the wall by the door, sinking to the floor and grabbing her hair in fistfuls as she continued to cry out of frustration. He _had _to be okay, she couldn't lose anyone else.

Wufei exited Rei's room, removing his mask and tossing it in a waste bin. He glanced down at where Ami sat and frowned, looking at the commotion in Trowa's room from the small window.

"He'll pull through," he said matter-of-factly. She glanced up at him, wiping at her tears.

"How do you know?"

He hesitated a second, glancing back in the room and in the direction of Rei's room as well.

"I don't. Get up onna, let's get some food from the cafeteria with everyone else. I'm sure starving yourself won't help him get better."

Ami nodded, reminding herself how incredibly nice Wufei was being and not commenting on the fact that he had called her 'onna.'

She stood and the two headed down to the cafeteria. Ami hurriedly finished wiping at her tears and the two entered the doors of the cafeteria to sit with everyone else. Everyone greeted them brightly, and Ami offered them all a small smile and sat down, keeping her blood-shot eyes out of view.

"How's Rei?" Usagi asked, shifting with a wince and looking at Wufei. Mamoru touched her shoulder lightly and leaned forwards with interest.

"She's stabilizing," he said. "The nurse said that she'd probably be in a regular room in an hour, and possibly leave here in a wheel chair tomorrow."

Everyone smiled happily at the news, the idea that everyone was going to pull through okay almost too unrealistic to imagine.

"That's great," Quatre said, leaning forwards with interest. "How about Trowa?"

Ami stiffened but said nothing, and everyone glanced at Wufei.

"Not so good," he admitted simply, grabbing Duo's juice and downing it. Duo protested but Setsuna grabbed his elbow to quiet him. Quatre nodded disappointedly, looking away. Makoto grabbed his hand and he smiled at her.

Heero frowned at the news, glancing at Minako, who shook her head. Haruka glanced at Michiru and Hotaru, and stood.

"Listen, the three of us are heading home. We'll call later to check on everyone."

Everyone nodded, waving goodbye, and Setsuna stood, addressing Penelope for the first time.

"I also must head to the time gates. I'll return later... Penelope."

Penelope froze as Setsuna addressed her for the first time.

"I'm taking you back to the other dimension. Unfortunately, when you wake up tomorrow morning, you won't remember any of this."

Penelope nodded hesitantly, feeling like she was in a movie.

"That's somehow alright with me."

"Setsuna wait. You never told us where those strange powers came from," Makoto pointed out, and Setsuna stopped where she stood and smiled.

"That's right, I didn't. To cut a long story short, these powers are some that we would have developed in the later years of Crystal Tokyo. I believe that since Andromache was never supposed to attack to begin with, we were able to show a bit of those powers in our worst moments. I don't think we will be doing those displays of power again anytime soon," she explained, and everyone nodded thoughtfully.

"I will see you all tomorrow," Setsuna added after their silence, leaving the cafeteria.

Penelope stood and followed Setsuna out of the room.

Duo stood. "Where's my goodbye kiss?" he asked, following Setsuna from the room.

He returned a moment later looking dazed and sat down, pushing his food away.

"I'm not even hungry," he said in a happy voice, and everyone paled considerably.

* * *

An hour later, they all sat crowding around Rei in her new room downstairs. Rei had just woken up and been bombarded with all of their questions. After everyone quieted down, a comfortable silence took over the room as everyone sat. No one knew why they were still at the hospital, although part of them probably just wanted to hear good news about Trowa before they left.

"It's almost sad isn't it...how pathetically in love with Andromache Laycaon was," Minako commented from where she was conversing with Makoto. "I mean, he was an awful guy, no doubt, and he probably deserved what he got, but still..."

"I guess," Makoto said. "I wonder if he was just involved with all that stuff because he loved Andromache?" Duo nodded at Makoto's words.

"Maybe," he said.

"No way," Usagi said, butting in and shaking her head.

"I agree, the guy was scum," Mamoru said. Quatre nodded in agreement, as did Heero.

"Yes, the man was a weakling with no honor," Wufei agreed.

"Yes, but he did do anything Andromache asked of him, and she was happy to see him dead. Anything's possible...who knows, he may have been good before she found him. We've had that trouble with too many enemies. I feel bad for him and anyone else caught by one person's evil intentions," Minako commented.

"Don't you worry about Laycaon. He had his fair share of fun and then some before Trowa killed him," Ami snapped, exiting the room.

Everyone was left to ponder her words a moment, and Minako shook her head.

"I really should put my foot in my mouth. There's no telling what happened between Laycaon, Ami, and Trowa in that room. I just upset Ami for nothing," Minako said.

"She's not mad at you, it's the situation," Heero stated.

Minako sighed and nodded.

"Let's all give Rei some space," Mamoru commented, glancing at Rei, whose eyes were traveling the room and trying to keep up with what was going on.

Everyone nodded, filing out of the room and into the waiting room.

"I like that side braid they did on you Rei, despite the situation," Usagi commented sadly on her way out. "You should do it more often."

Rei stared as they exited, not surprised or disappointed when Wufei hung back, closing the door.

He approached her bed and she attempted to sit up, but he stopped her, grasping her hand and staring at her.

"Minako told me what you did," she said. He nodded but said nothing, and she smiled lightly.

"Thank you Wufei. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"Don't say that...I don't want to think about it," he said, and before she could blink he had leaned down and placed a heated kiss on her lips. She blushed when he pulled away and stared into his eyes for any indication as to what he was thinking.

"I'll leave you to rest," he said simply, exiting the room.

* * *

Ami wasn't sure where she was heading, her feet carrying her to the elevator before she could talk reason to herself.

She pushed the button for the third floor once she entered and automatically began berating herself as the door closed.

'He's asleep, you're just torturing yourself,' she repeated in her head, although logic took no toll on her decisions.

The elevator opened and she headed in the direction of the room she had entered earlier, not surprised once she saw through the window that he was asleep and that the door was locked. Again, she sat on the floor by the door.

She had to get control of herself; she was acting erratic and unlike herself.

A nurse passed by and glanced down at her, frowning slightly.

"Are you alright?"

Ami looked up at her and nodded.

"Um...yeah, I'm just tired."

The nurse nodded, moving to enter the room but stopping. "You were in here earlier, weren't you?"

Ami nodded, and the nurse smiled.

"I was just heading in to check on the machines. He's a little better now...visitor's hours don't finish for another two hours. Did you...want to come in and see him?"

Ami stared at the kind nurse a moment, before nodding. She stood, and the nurse passed her a small white mask and unlocked the door, entering in front of her. Ami stood off to the side as the woman adjusted one of the machines and checked the I.V. feeding into Trowa's arm. She placed a stethoscope to his chest and frowned, staring at the heart monitor before his bed. Ami stared at the machine as well, knowing that the beats were irregular.

The nurse gave her a small smile and exited the room. Ami grimaced slightly as she kneeled by Trowa's bed, feeling as though someone had done a tap dance on her stomach.

She reached her shaking hands over, hesitating in memory of what had happened earlier, before enclosing his left hand in both of hers. He felt cold and it surprised her, making her more afraid.

He was so pale, and she suddenly felt very alone in the room, despite his presence.

She stared at him, before shaking her head. "Trowa, it should have been me. I was the sick one, and you hurt yourself to save me."

He remained still and she sighed sadly, suddenly feeling very tired. With his hand still clutched in hers, she decided there was no harm in letting her own head rest for a few minutes.

* * *

Ami felt a small tug at her hand, and she shifted, wondering where she was. She looked up and blinked, wondering why she was kneeling on the floor by a bed.

With a gasp, she remembered where she was and looked from where Trowa was clearly clutching back her hand and up to his smiling face. He was still lying down, with his head turned towards her.

Tears sprang to her eyes immediately when she caught his eyes, and he let a small chuckle escape his lips as he weakly tried to touch her face.

"Don't stress yourself," she said immediately, tears now streaming down her cheeks. Trowa didn't realize how injured he was, but it was definitely difficult to lift up his head. Ami was wearing a white mask on her face, partially unhooked. Where were they?

"D-don't cry," he said, his voice sounding hoarse. "Are you okay?" She removed the mask and spoke.

"Me? I-I'm fine thanks to you. It's you I'm worried about," Ami sobbed, grasping his hand tightly. "Your injuries are so bad. What did you do to yourself?"

"It...doesn't matter," he said, staring at her with relief.

"It does!" Ami insisted, shaking her head.

He squeezed her hand tighter, it being one of the few small actions that didn't hurt him. She couldn't help but let her tears slow as she stared at him, his eyes still bleary since he had just woken up. His lips were parted slightly, almost as if he were trying to find something to say to her.

Never in Ami's eyes had he looked so innocent. He was clearly in pain but wasn't letting it show as he tried to lighten her mood.

"Oh my," a voice from the door caused both of them to turn to look at the nurse.

"Y-you're up? I can't believe it," the nurse said, entering the room. "I was just coming to get you," she indicated at Ami. "To let you know that visiting hours were done. This is wonderful."

Ami nodded, standing, but Trowa did not release her hand and more tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Sir, she has to leave," the nurse said gently, approaching the two. "She can come back to see you tomorrow. He'll probably be in a room downstairs, what wonderful progress," the nurse gushed, indicating the last part at Ami.

Ami gave a valiant attempt at a smile for the nurse, hoping Trowa would make things easier on her and release her but he didn't. The nurse stared at the two a moment, before nodding.

"I'll be back with a doctor to check on him in a couple of minutes," the nurse said, backing towards the door. "You can say your good-byes until I get back, but I'm afraid that after that you have to leave."

Ami nodded at the nurse, glad that she was so kind, and the nurse left. She turned back to look at Trowa, who had turned his head slightly upwards, watching her with a calculating expression on his face.

"What happened to your face?" He asked, staring at the scratches next to her eye.

She shook her head.

"It's fine. I have to leave now," she said gently, crouching back down next to the bed. "I'll be back early tomorrow morning. I promise."

He stared at her hesitantly, almost as if he were afraid that whatever threat they had faced would take her from him.

"Okay," he said slowly. "You can tell me everything I missed then."

She nodded, moving to stand, but he still held her hand firmly. She turned back to look at him, and he smiled at her slightly anxious look as she hurriedly wiped her tears.

"I love you," he said softly, and she smiled too, leaning down and giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"I love you too," she said, standing. "The doctor is just outside, I have to go. I'll see you in the morning."

She paused, allowing him to unlatch his hand from hers, and gave him an encouraging smile before walking out the door, just as the doctor was headed in. She waved to the nurse and headed to the elevator.

Even as the doctor entered the room and began speaking to him, Trowa stared after her.

Everything was finally alright.

_

* * *

_

One month later...

Trowa pulled up into the driveway with Duo in the passenger's seat. Duo stopped strumming on the window pane and glanced over at him, grinning.

"The ride felt longer than usual," he commented.

Trowa nodded. "Yes, it's because you're excited."

The two climbed from the car and found that Wufei, Heero, and Quatre were already outside, waiting somewhat patiently for them.

"Ready?" Quatre asked, and the two nodded. The five of them turned to stare at the large tree house Quatre had constructed in his front yard.

To the naked eye, it seemed to be nothing more than a tree house, however they all knew better.

Quatre climbed up the ladder first, and paused at the closed door. Everyone below him smirked as he tugged at one of the wood panels, which swung open. It revealed a small keypad. He typed in a long series of number and nodded when the door to the tree house swung open.

Everyone climbed up after him as they surveyed the entirely metal interior of the wood tree house. The idea had been brilliant, actually, and was Usagi's. A good plan, since the tear to the next dimension was ten feet off the ground. The security was for obvious reasons.

Quatre crawled over to the tear and began to climb through the gate, everyone at his heels. On the other side, Rei had constructed a shed around the tear, and all emerged and found themselves in the shed. Arriving at the keypad by the door, Trowa punched in the numbers, a shorter code than the previous, and quickly stepped through the door. The five breathed the fresh air of the yard of the temple and began to make their way through the snow moderately, enjoying the day.

Walking around the back, Wufei approached the sliding door and pulled it open, suddenly laughing and ducking as a pillow flew over his head.

"Wufei! Why did you wait so long to come back for a visit?" Rei demanded, approaching him temperamentally.

"It's been two weeks, and I had work," he said with a shrug, smirking as the anger left her face. She approached him and gave him a quick peck on the lips, ushering for everyone else to enter from the cold.

"The girls should be here soon, and I guarantee all of you that the couple of weeks since your last visit were too long for them as well," Rei warned.

Everyone nodded at her words and situated themselves around the living room just as Makoto and Minako cam running up the steps.

Minako slid open the door dramatically and the two rushed inside, both stopping to pant a few moments with their hands on their knees.

"Told you...we'd be on time Mako," Minako breathed out, regaining her composure and grinning at the six in the room. "Hello, everyone. Hey Heero!"

She ran at him, wrapping him in a hug. "I missed you! We went from seeing you every day for like, a month straight, to two weeks without you!" Heero did not object to what she said, choosing to simply kiss her forehead. Minako took this as an apology and giggled slightly.

Makoto meanwhile laughed as Quatre approached her while she slipped off her shoes, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind her and leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"I missed you," he muttered, and she quieted her laughter and turned, pushing her lips against his and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Will you please make out elsewhere?" Usagi's voice floated into the room as she and Mamoru pushed past Quatre and Makoto at the door. Behind them Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru filed in.

Everyone exchanged their greetings as Setsuna arrived next, choosing to enter through the doorway rather than just appear out of nowhere.

Duo saw her before anyone else, having been waiting for her, and he stood and met her at the door. Setsuna smiled at his eagerness as he spoke.

"Hey babe, how much did you miss me?"

"Enough," she admitted, landing a soft kiss on his lips and taking his hand, leading him back to the couch. In truth, she had seen him within the two weeks. Thanks to her powers, she had gone through the tear, and then used her time staff to take her to the preventer's headquarters where Duo worked, less limited than the other girls.

Trowa waved at everyone who entered, impatiently watching the door for Ami.

"She'll be here soon Trowa."

He turned to look at Mamoru, and Usagi nodded at Mamoru's words.

"She was just meeting with a financial advisor about her mom's accounts and stuff," Usagi said. "She'll be here in a couple of minutes."

True to Usagi's words, Ami arrived a few minutes later. She greeted everyone and smiled at Trowa, whom was on his feet the instant he saw her approaching.

"Hey stranger," she greeted as he wrapped her in a hug, enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms.

"Sorry," he said. "I think the two-weeks were too long for me as well."

She laughed, hugging him back as fiercely. "Don't let it happen again! I can come to your dimension if you explain to me how to get anywhere other than Quatre's countryside estate!"

"I will," he promised, and she had only glanced up at his beautiful eyes one moment before he had her lips pinned against his in a heated kiss.

"AMI!"

Usagi's voice tore through the room as Ami was tugged to the floor with a small cry, separating the two.

"Rei's being so mean!" Usagi dramatically cried, holding Ami by her collar. "Please go control her!"

Ami laughed, trying to get up. "What do you expect me to do?"

Rei approached Usagi menacingly, and everyone laughed as Ami gently but firmly removed her grip from her collar and backed away, wanting nothing to do with one of Usagi and Rei's fights.

Trowa laughed as he reached down to help Ami stand, but found himself on the ground a moment later and confused as he looked at her bewildered. She had pulled him down?

She laughed at his expression and leaned forwards, kissing his suddenly irresistible lips.

"Usagi interrupted," she explained with a shrug. Trowa never agreed with her more as he the two stood. Both of them had changed drastically from the first day they met, and he loved it.

_The End_

* * *

Thanks to all of my helpful reviewers and readers, I enjoyed writing this!


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